Laurel Mayor Delivers Budget to City Council

The City of Laurel is poised to vote on a proposed budget for fiscal year 2012 this month after Mayor Craig A. Moe offered a trimmed and balanced budget to the city council during a Wednesday night work session.

 After working last week to, Moe delivered a $25.5 million budget that skimmed from several city programs and  froze the pay for city employees through 2012. While Moe lauded that the budget did not include layoff or furloughs for city workers, he said tough times for the city budget lay ahead.

 “These are the tough decisions that have to be made,” he said.  “Would I love to give everyone [raises]? Of course…We have to move forward.  The FY 2012 budget has been balanced with many unwanted changes.”

City officials blamed the cuts on a decline in property tax revenues, with property values in the city dropping 15 percent over the last year, causing the budget to shrink from more than $27 million in fiscal year 2011, to $25 million in 2012.

 Cost cutting measures include:

• City pay freeze expected to save about $360,000;
• Paying off a $1.5 million public bond from 1996 early, (the bond was due until FY 2012);
• $6,000 was saved by reducing time spent on the annual Spring Cleanup;
• All departments in the city cut 2.5 percent from their budgets;
• $22,000 saved by not immediately filling vacant positions;
• Mandate from the mayor urging all departments to conserve fuel and energy;
• Spots eliminated from the mayor’s summer job program.

The budget will be discussed during a public hearing on Monday.  The city council is expected to vote on it by the end of the month.