As Brookhaven aldermen wrangle over a general fund deficitbudget, they also must make some tough decisions on a solid wastebudget where a latest version shows expenditures almost twiceexpected revenue.

Including requested equipment purchases and 5 percent employeepay raises, proposed expenditures total $1.6 million while expectedrevenue is only $879,372 for the new fiscal year that starts Oct.1.

To offset the projected deficit, city officials are nowconsidering a $3 a month garbage fee increase from $9 to $12. Anincrease that size would generate an additional $147,600 from thecity’s approximately 4,100 customers

“That’ll help some if you decide to do it,” City Clerk IrisRudman told aldermen at a Monday night budget work session.

The solid waste situation is expected to be discussed againThursday during officials’ fourth budget session. Aldermen mustadopt a new year budget by Sept. 14.

Rudman explained the city’s solid waste budget must beself-supporting. However, the only funding options are a maximumfour-mill property tax levy, which the city is already doing, andfees collected for garbage services.

Other proposed fee-related action includes a landfill compostfee increase from $10 to $15 a ton and to increase the fee forprivately-delivered garbage at the landfill from $33.40 a ton to$36 a ton. Those changes, plus the residential fee increase and alittle more tax levy money due to overall higher property values,are forecast to bring in $204,567 in additional solid wasterevenue.

Eliminating the equipment purchases and implementing the feeadjustments would leave a deficit of around $53,900, city officialssaid. Rudman indicated that could be brought forward from thecurrent year budget to help make next year’s balance.

The residential garbage fee has not been raised in at least 10years. One alderman, though, spoke against raising fees for thecoming year.

“I’m not in agreement with that,” said Ward 3 Alderman the Rev.Jerry L. Wilson.

Despite Mayor Bill Godbold’s earlier warnings aboutsteadily-increasing costs, aldermen are considering exploring thepossibility of getting a private contractor for garbage collection.Rudman said most state cities are contracting for the service.

“If it’s showing they’re surviving it, I don’t see whyBrookhaven couldn’t,” said Ward 1 Alderman Dorsey Cameron.

However, Ward 6 Alderman John E. “Buddy” Allen expressedconcerns about displacing city employees and a lack of personalservice.

Currently, if a person’s garbage is missed, the city can seethat it’s picked up. Allen doubted the situation would be the samewith a contractor.

“I worry about the type of service we’re going to get ascompared to what our people are used to,” Allen said.

Ward 2 Alderman Terry Bates again raised the possibility of thecity assuming control of the garbage transfer station as a means ofraising more revenue. Other officials pointed out the city lost$100,000 earlier this year when the city tried to run the facilitywhile an operator contract was in dispute.

Regarding plans for next year, though, aldermen said that if acontractor was a possibility in the near future, then they did notneed to consider new equipment purchases. With the new budget yearstarting in just over a month, Ward 4 Alderman Bob Massengillquestioned whether there was even enough time to get proposals fromgarbage service contractors.

“I think we need to deal with this year, and if that’s somethingwe want to do next year, we can explore it,” Massengill said.