Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
Officials: Finances in good shape
Celina
By William Kincaid
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
Restoration work continues this week on Celina City Hall. Council members recently set aside $21,000 for continued restoration of the structure built in 1890. Periodically, the building requires masonry repairs, chemical cleaning and application of water-repellent sealant.
CELINA - The city is sitting on solid financial ground and may start 2017 with a $3.9 million carryover, some of which may be moved into the streets account for additional infrastructure projects.
Council's personnel and finance commitee on Monday night met to begin going over next year's proposed budget. Mayor Jeff Hazel said committee members reviewed the general fund budget. They'll meet again on Monday at the conclusion of the 6 p.m. parks and recreation committee meeting to study utilities.
Hazel said council members should give first reading of the budget ordinance at the next regular council meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 14.
The city, based on data from the end of September, could begin 2017 with a $3.9 million general fund carryover, according to auditor Betty Strawn. That's in addition to the extra 0.5 percent income tax being collected for police, fire and streets. At the end of September, the city had garnered $1.16 million, 86 percent of the 0.5 percent income tax revenue anticipated for the year.
Hazel said about $750,000 is in the streets account. Some of the general fund carryover likely will be moved into the streets account to give it a total balance of $2.5 million, he said.
One possible major residential street project proposed for next year is a complete water line replacement under Livingston Street from Main Street to Enterprise Street, he told the newspaper. Portions of that stretch of Livingston likely will be reconstructed as well, he said.
"Livingston Street is a very heavily traveled thoroughfare," Hazel said.
Also, commitee members on Monday night tentatively moved to set aside $16,000 in the mayor's discretionary fund to allow for Hazel and perhaps three council members to travel to Minamiawaji, Japan, Celina's sister city, next year, Hazel said.
"We really do want to continue a sister city program," Hazel said.
Visitors from Minamiawaji traveled thousands of miles across an ocean to visit the city for a week this summer. They want Celina officials to return the gesture.
Hazel had said delegation members, as well as Ryoji Noda, a Japanese deputy consul general based in Detroit, had asked Celina to send a delegation to Minamiawaji. However, no money was budgeted this year for such a journey.
