City of Leesburg officials approve FY 2018 budget

LEESBURG — The Leesburg City Council approved the city’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget Tuesday night, a spending plan that represents a $61,644 decrease in general fund expenditures from last year.

The new budget also calls for allocation of SPLOST funds to continue renovating the historic downtown train depot.

“We cut back in some areas, but much has stayed the same,” City Manager Bob Alexander said after the meeting.

The general revenue fund for 2018 was approved at $2,279,522, with the largest percentage of that total going to public safety.

In the new budget, the Public Safety department will get $7,000 for computer support and an additional $6,000 for public safety vehicle repairs. Gas and oil cost allocations for the department will increase by $1,000, while cutbacks are anticipated in electricity, small equipment and office supplies. Funding for the Police Explorers program and a Christmas gift drive to benefit local orphans will also discontinue.

“We’ve found that both programs are doing well and getting a lot of outside donations,” Alexander said.

According to budget reports, 37 percent of the new budget is allocated for public safety, 18 percent will go to Public Works and another 18 percent will go to solid waste. The budget also allocates 16 percent to administration, 5 percent for a general fund contingency account, 4 percent for Municipal Court expenses, 3 percent for the City Counsel and no funds for Code Enforcement.

An increase from $346,800 to $360,000 in SPLOST sales tax revenues is anticipated, bringing total SPLOST revenues for 2018 to $467,029.

SPLOST expenditures are slated to rise from $808,324 to $902,780. Of that money, public facility renovations and construction are expected to decrease from $378,733 to $138,780.

The biggest renovation and construction project for 2018 will be the ongoing train depot renovation.

According to the new budget, the depot project is expected to cost $430,000, with just a portion of that funding available through SPLOST. Budget reports also show that Leesburg City Council members approved $115,000 for the train depot renovation last year while actual costs were $392,170.

Another SPLOST project allocated $378,733 to demolish a gas station, but only $5,000 was spent. That enabled council members to shift some of those funds to other projects. City officials say they also anticipate new grant money to help cover the cost of the train depot project.

The council previously discussed allocating funds for sidewalk improvements and new landscaping in the downtown area at Virginia Avenue. The new budget shows a $20,000 allocation for sidewalks.

“Our plan is to install handicap rails,” Alexander said. “We would also like to see landscaping and other improvements near the train depot.”

A salary adjustment giving city employees a 3.5 percent raise was also approved. However, health insurance and workman’s compensation rates will also increase. The estimated health insurance increase is 4.25 percent, while workman’s comp rates are expected to go up by 18 percent.

“We received two quotes for workman’s comp,” Alexander said. “One came from the Georgia Municipal Association with a $5,000 deductible, and one came from Key Risk Insurance Company for $95,264 with a $1,000 deductible. Council members voted to accept the quote from Georgia Municipal.”