Property owners are not expected to be paying more for cityoperations, but debt service on a bond issue for Brookhaven HighSchool improvements will mean more out of taxpayers’ pockets nextyear, according to proposed budget totals discussed Tuesday.

Property owners are not expected to be paying more for cityoperations, but debt service on a bond issue for Brookhaven HighSchool improvements will mean more out of taxpayers’ pockets nextyear, according to proposed budget totals discussed Tuesday.

A tax levy recap presented during a public hearing last nightshows the city needing 7.9 mills to fund payment on the $7.5million bond issue which voters approved overwhelmingly last year.Combined with $3.5 million in state funds related to the artsschool, the BHS bond issue money is being used to build two newwings, renovate the auditorium and address building codeissues.

Other tax levy-supported school district funds, such as schooldistrict maintenance, minimum program, vocational support andcapital improvements, changed little. However, a shortfall note,needed when tax collections did not meet this year’s requestingfunding levels, will add another half mill to the tax levy nextyear.

One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed propertyvalue. School-related budget plans mean city school districtresidents will be paying about $8.50 more for $1,000 of assessedproperty value, which is about 10 to 15 percent of a property’sreal or market value.

For city operations, officials are looking at a $7.9 milliongeneral fund budget next year that is about $400,000 less than thisyear’s $8.3 million budget, said City Clerk Iris Rudman. The taxlevy for general fund operations is expected to remain the same at27.95 mills.

The overall projected tax levy next year is 98.07 mills. Ofthat, 58.52 is slated for school-related funding and 39.55 for cityoperations, solid waste services and debt service on other bondissues.

Aldermen are scheduled to approve the new year budget and taxlevy plans at a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 5 p.m. Thenew fiscal year starts Oct. 1.

A big decrease in next year’s budget is in the generalgovernment category where spending plans are down from $1.38million this year to $947,000 next year. Rudman attributed that tothe city not having approximately $500,000 in various landpurchases next year as it did this year.

Funding for salary increases is one area where spending is up.Budget plans calls for 3 percent increases for city employees,excluding elected officials.

In an effort to make pay more competitive with other cities,aldermen approved salary scale adjustments and larger increases forpolice and fire department personnel. Police department budgetplans, for example, are up from $1.7 million this year to $1.8million next year.

“The police went up, but that takes into account the salaryincreases,” Rudman said.

During Tuesday’s regular meeting, aldermen rejected an effortbacked by Alderman Terry Bates to raise 29 employees making $6 anhour up to $6.50 an hour and to give the city’s animal controlofficer an approximately $1,000 a year raise. A $2,000 a year raisefor the cemetery superintendent was also rejected.

With police and fire salaries the focus this year, theprevailing opinion was to wait and look at other departments nextyear. Officials indicated there is not enough money this year andthere may be more next year.

“We can’t help everybody at one time,” said Ward 1 AldermanDorsey Cameron.

Budget related items that were approved last night included anadditional $10,000 in support funding for the King’s DaughtersMedical Center ambulance service, which raised the total to$50,000, and a minor insurance coverage cost adjustment. Theapproved spending plans will leave about $86,000 in unbudgetedfunds next year as a “cushion” for city operations, officialssaid.

In an arts school-related budget matter, Mayor Bill Godbold saidofficials are looking at improvements on the Whitworth campus. Oneitem the mayor mentioned was laying a culvert and covering thedrainage ditch along Monticello Street and Brookway Boulevard.

Godbold said city, school and engineering officials arediscussing plans for the estimated $800,000 in improvements.Funding for the work would come from money the city received fromHUD, the mayor said.

“We’re going to get together to see if we’ve got enough money todo it,” Godbold said.