As city fathers begin preparations for a new budget year, theyare again facing the dilemma of a solid waste department situationthat is continuing to lose money.

Officials believe they may have an answer by borrowing somemoney from a Wal-Mart’s repayment of a $1 million Urban DevelopmentAction Grant (UDAG) that the city receives for the retail giant’sdistribution center.

The proposed plan, though, is only a short-term answer and not along-term solution. With solid waste operations in a deficitalready, city officials admit the chances of repaying the Wal-Martfund are slim.

The inability to repay the fund is just one of several potentialproblems the city’s plan raises.

Grant guidelines say the funds are to be used for economicdevelopment, not continued mere economic survival of a departmentthat is not self-supporting. Salary increases have been mentionedas one use of the borrowed funds, but the problem then is usingnon-recurring money for an expense that will have to be paid againnext year.

An alternate use of the Wal-Mart is setting it aside to assistin development of a new industrial park. That plan would be more inline with the fund’s intended purpose and would represent a soundinvestment in the community’s future.

City officials have some tough solid waste decisions to make anda solution must be found. However, the solution does not lie inone-time money that could be put to better use elsewhere.