Mountain View City Council Digs In to Budget

     The Mountain View City Council met June 15 for a budget discussion. Also included in the meeting was a resolution that would continue medical coverage on the city’s group medical plan for retiring City Clerk, Willa Kramer. The measure was passed, continuing coverage for Kramer until age 65. 

     As the Council addressed budget requests and reviewed numbers, they told those in attendance that the process has been very difficult, as previous numbers for the budget were found to be full of major discrepancies. 

     Among budget requests submitted, the police department requested funds for a new motor for a 2013 Dodge. The Council has requested that the department get the motor repaired, instead of replacing it, to save money. A $2,000 funding request for ammunition was reduced to $1,000, while a request for funding for firearms was deemed as being unjustifiable. The Council is considering requests of funds for training handcuffs, new radios in six patrol cars for communication, and radio repeaters, totaling $14,800. 

     In reviewing budget needs for other city departments, the city pool had no funding requests for the current budget year. The city cemetery requested $1,000 for gravel for driving paths within the cemetery. The public library has asked for two new computers, totaling $1,300. The city court needs one new computer, valued at $600. The city’s mechanic shop has requested the purchase of a used service truck for approximately $10,000. The golf course is asking for $3,500 for mowers, and approximately $10,000 for upgrades and repairs to irrigation. The electric department has requested a mini excavator for resetting utility poles, at a cost of $40,000, as well as $25,000 for materials for contract work. The senior center is in need of a new air conditioning unit, with a bid estimate of $8,750. A sludge pump truck has been requested for the waste water treatment plant for $50,000. The water department has made two large funding requests that are under consideration. A project to sandblast and repaint the interior of a water tower is estimated to cost $100,000. The department has requested an additional $100,000 for a sewer camera. The council hopes that a proposed sewer bond will help defer costs of both projects. 

      Additional budget considerations for the fire department and the sanitation department will be discussed at a later time, as the department heads have recently been in quarantine. Another budget discussion was held Monday, June 22 after press time. Look for coverage of the discussion in the next edition of Howell County News.