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Spending drops but levy increases in proposed Edgerton budget

EDGERTON — The Edgerton City Council kept a tight hold on the city's purse strings in the 2010 proposed budget, but it tentatively approved a new police officer—one with four legs that's paid in kibbles.

Chief Tom Klubertanz lobbied hard for a canine officer for the department, and the council included it in the proposed budget after much discussion, City Administrator Ramona Flanigan said.

It's one of the few new spending items included in the proposed budget, which saw a decrease in non-tax revenue and increase in garbage collection costs.

As a result, the proposed tax levy is 3.3 percent higher than the 2009 levy even though general expenditures drop by 1.7 percent. The 3.3 percent increase is the most the city can raise under state levy limits.

The council will hold a public hearing and vote on the proposed budget Monday.

The city expects to lose about $67,000, or 3.2 percent, in non-tax revenue from areas such as state aid and permit fees in 2010.

Garbage collection costs will go up about $19,000 in 2010 because of an increase in state fees. The city includes refuse collection in its levy instead of charging a separate fee.

Flanigan and other city staff looked for places to cut the budget by small amounts based on previous years' spending, she said.

"We looked at gas; we reduced the fuel prices," she said. "The prediction for heating is that natural gas is going to be down, so we looked at (cuts) there …

"If a budget had a five-year history that it was under budget by $100, we went down that tight."

The police dog is expected to cost $13,000 for purchase and training. Klubertanz will train the dog so the city doesn't have to pay overtime to an officer for training, Flanigan said.

The city received a $3,000 donation for the dog and hopes to raise another $1,000 through increased law enforcement fees, Flanigan said.

Partially in exchange for the canine addition, the city decided not to replace a police squad car this year, Flanigan said. The 2010 budget includes a $37,000 decrease in patrol equipment.

One major capital expense for 2010 is $1.2 million for a new City Hall. Voters approved the spending by a narrow margin in June.

The city will borrow the money in 2010 but won't start paying it back until 2011, Flanigan said. City officials said before the referendum that they didn't expect the debt to increase the tax levy.

The budget also includes $40,000 for storm sewer repairs in Central Park and a west-side neighborhood, Flanigan said. A public works request for a new plow truck was denied.

The city is negotiating contracts with its unions, so Flanigan had to estimate 2010 wages, she said. In 2009, union employees received a 2.5 percent raise and non-union employees received a 1 percent increase.