Reply To: Budget Blueprint

[Johnny Hill]

Dear Council,
Since our last budget meeting and after further analysis of the proposed budget from the Mayor, I realized that there was a cost of living raise in it for all city personnel including police and administration. I have revised my spreadsheet and have put together a budget that I believe minimizes the pending tax increase as a best case scenario. This version freezes all salaries and pay rates at last years rate with no cost of living increase and does not include any capex expenditures. Any increase in personnel cost or Capex will of course increase the amount of tax rate increase.

I have reduced the part time police chiefs rate as follows:
* Troy Harrison was paid all sick and vacation leave on 7/9/2025 after his resignation as city manager and his contract was cancelled. Troy’s rate at that time was $50.40 per hour. His rate prior to becoming City Manager was $36.18 per hour as police chief.
I am proposing that we change Troy’s rate as part time Police Chief(32 hours per week, 1,664 hrs per year) to a rate of $38.50 per hour with no benefits (i.e. no bonus, no vehicle allowance, no health insurance, & no retirement) since he will be considered part time.
This rate would be $2.00 per hour more than his Sergeant.

Employee Hrly Wage Proposed Wage Personnel salaries
2024-2025 2025/2026 plus T&I & retirement
Police Dept
Harrison, Troy D * $50.40 $38.50 $73,011.58 (no benefits)
Barmore, Jerry G $31.57 $31.57 $102,939.51
Haase, Timothy D $31.57 $31.57 $102,844.47
Tidwell, James C $36.50 $36.50 $115,916.67
Ryan, John B. $31.57 $31.57 $102,773.19
Santana, Jonathan $31.57 $31.57 $102,523.71
Officer PT- Fenley $17.95 $17.95 $7,327.30
Officer PT- Mendoza $18.95 $18.95 $7,327.30
Officer PT- Hernandez $19.95 $19.95 $7,327.30
Total Police $621,991.04
Administration
City Manager-TBD ** $50.40 $61.00 $135,551.05 **(This is based on what we would have had to pay Mr. Gant, and
Stokes, Diane $24.43 $24.43 $79,471.50 therefore represents current market at minimum)
Anderson, Bernadette $26.43 $26.43 $94,320.75
Total Admin $309,343.30
==============
Total budgeted Salary cost per year $931,334.33

Other large expense line items included in a total budgeted expense of $2,267,573.92:

Police Dept. Maintenance and Services $169,380.00
Debt Service- water and sewer infrastructure loan $252,800.00
6391 · Emergency Medical Services $189,919.92
6390-10 · Fire protection $252,000.00
6392 · Dispatch contract $54,000.00
6369-50 · Outside Services-Public Works $48,000.00

This revised budget scenario increases tax as follows:
3.736% increase in property taxes based on part time police chief @$38.50 + city mgr@ $61.00, no capex. Putting the new total tax rate at .881891 dollars per hundred of evaluation. up from the “no new revenue rate” of .850130 This is still well below the voter approval rate of .961320 per hundred of evaluation.

Actual increase amount to property taxes:
$0.031761 per $100.00 of evaluation increase
or $31.76 per $100,000.00 of evaluation increase