Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – City Council ended 2007 by approving the 2008 municipal budget to the tune of $13.1 million.
Originally scheduled to meet Monday, Dec. 17, the last session of the year was postponed due to a storm, with councilors gathering Dec. 19 to conclude city business for the year. Up over $1.5 million from 2007’s figure of $11.5 million, City Manager Tom Stevens explained the figures are a bit deceptive. In reality, airport fuel sale revenues offset much of the increase.
“The budget reflects about a 2.6 percent increase and is also below the $52,000 LD-1 limit,” Stevens told councilors, noting that airport fuel purchases and sales were up over last year’s, causing the end budget figure to be up from last year’s total.
The 2008 budget came in at $52,831 below the LD-1 spending limit of more than $6 million.
Fuel costs continued to be of concern with this year’s municipal budget, according to Stevens.
Stevens said the city was “pretty well maxed out at this point” and suggested city officials “take a deep breath” at this point. Councilors had anticipated a hike might be necessary in fuel funds for 2008 but a recent drop in fuel costs prevented the need for an increase in funding for fuel in the budget.
“I think we’re OK in the budget. It looks like futures have back off from the $100 per barrel to the low- to mid-$90s,” Stevens advised the Council.
The 2008 budget includes an additional $120,000 for fuel over last year’s budget, with the city’s fuel oil budget set at $3 per gallon in the coming year.
City officials anticipate over $7.1 million in revenue in 2008. It expects to raise just over $5.9 million in taxes, for a final appropriation of $13,135,900.
Included in that figure is $60,900 for outside requests by various local organizations.
Council will hold its first session of the new year on Monday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Sessions are open to the public and citizens are encouraged to participate. For more information, call 764-4485.
