Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wants Water Commission to Explain

Gurdon's City Council was presented a preliminary budget for 1996 during its regular meeting Monday night.

The budget includes a 3 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all employees, and an annual Christmas bonus.

Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith asked the council to study the budget and ask any questions it may have. He said there will most likely be another meeting of the budget committee before the December meeting.

This special meeting, he said, would address the need to make changes as needed. However, the goal is to have the budget finished and approved before Jan. 1, 1996.

The COLA raises do not include members of the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department. This department is operated from a separate budget, which includes its own revenues.

The anticipated revenue for the general fund for 1996 is $506,900.

Administrative expenses are expected to be $274,900, while the police department budget is set for $228,400. The budget for the parks and recreation department is $1,475, which brings the total general fund expenses to $504,775. This leaves $2,125 in unappropriated general funds.

Revenue for the solid waste department, street department and fire department are not included in the general fund.

The anticipated revenue for the solid waste department is $89,100, while the anticipated expenses are $79,900, leaving $17,200 unappropriated.

Anticipated revenue for the street fund are $187,00, with the expenses figured at $178,350, which leaves $8,650 unappropriated.

An examination of the sales tax special general fund budget shows expected revenue of $235,000.

This section of the budget includes the Gurdon Fire Department's expenditures.

There is an anticipated transfer of $110,000 to the general fund No. 10408 ($30,000) and street fund No. 20403 ($80,000).

Anticipated expenses for the fire department are $67,650.

This brings the total of the anticipated expenses from the sales tax special general fund to $17,650, leaving $57,350 unappropriated.

Expected revenue for the firemen's pension fund is $31,375, with anticipated expenses of $16,500, leaving $14,875 unappropriated.

Revenues for the Rose Hedge Cemetery fund are $26,500, with expenses anticipated at $6,850. This means $19,650 has not been appropriated.

The budget for the municipal court fund was set at $1,400, with $1,300 expected in expenditures.

The bond-capital improvement budget shows anticipated revenues of $96,000, with $35,000 of this going to expenditures, leaving $61,000 not budgeted.

The anticipated revenues and expenditures for city fines are $16,000, leaving no unappropriated funds.

In addition, Smith, who informed the council the mayor of a second class city such as Gurdon, by law, could make motions and vote.

He said the council had not increased its pay ($25 per month) in at least the past nine years. Smith then moved to increase the council's stipend to $35 per month

Councilman Russell Hansen said he didn't run for office because of the money. "When I ran, I didn't know the council got paid," he said.

Roy Quinney, also a councilman, said, "Personally, I don't want one."

In a 4-2 vote, with Hansen and Edna Cooper voting against the raise, the council's pay will increase to $35 per month as of Jan. 1, 1996.

Additionally, this year's Christmas bonus will be $75 for full-time employees, and $37.50 for part-time workers.