Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Operating Budget Approved

Prescott's operating budget for 1997 was passed by the City Council Monday, January 20.

As in the past, the city's electrical department will carry many of the city's budgets through the year, since some do not have any income source.

An estimated $6.6 million in electrical department revenues is anticipated in the budget with all but $28,000 coming from electrical customers.

The department will spend an estimated $5.3 million, with about $4.6 million going towards electricity purchases. $214,500 will be spent on salaries in this department.

The $1.4 million left will be transferred and spent in other departments.

The city's water department has estimated its 1997 income at $376,000 and plans to spend $364,000 with $70,000 going to salaries.

The remaining $11,732 can be used elsewhere in the city's budgets if transferred by the council.

The sewer department is anticipating $609,000 in income in 1997 and has budgeted to spend all but $92,000.

The department has salaries budgeted for $84,000.

Prescott's shop has estimated its expenses to be $40,958 during 1997, but does not have any income.

General and administrative budgets for the new year anticipate $125,000 in revenues, but has budgeted $897,000 for operation, with $66,000 going to salaries.

This leaves a net income of a negative $772,000 for the budget.

The water plant and river plant budgets have only $15,000 in income anticipated, but has budgeted $140,000 in expenses with $30,000 going towards salary.

The city's volunteer fire department has a budget of $85,000 for 1997, but does not produce any income.

Prescott's Police Department budget will be $275,000 in the red after producing only $53,000 in income with anticipated expenses of $328,900.

Prescott will spend $39,340 for cemetery care in 1997, another budget that does not produce any income. $25,000 of the revenues will go to salaries.

The city's sanitation department will have $69,700 to spend, with $50,000 going towards salaries.

Municipal court will cost the city $25,548 for the year with $17,402 going to salaries. This budget does not show any revenues either.

The city's garbage collection will produce $180,000 in income in 1997 and spend $44,000 of that on salaries.

Anticipated expenses for the year, though, are $186,200 with a net loss of $6,200 in income.

The city will spend $2,400 for the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce through the inter-local agreement between the tow agencies. This will be applied to the chamber's rent.

A second budget category, entitled general and administrative, show the budget to have $1.088 million in income. This includes the one- cent sales tax which generates between and $300,000 and $350,000 yearly.

Expenses for this budget are $277,000 and includes salaries for and funds for several areas.

This will leave a $810,000 surplus in this budget. The sales tax money is budgeted elsewhere and did not pass at the meeting pending a public hearing February 6.

The street department is anticipating $285,000 in income for the year and has budgeted just over $284,000.

Over $85,000 will be spent in salaries in this budget.

The city will spend $288,000 on payments to the 1993 and 1994 bonds and has several improvements planned for the year.