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Rincon looks at $10.1M budget
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Rincon City Council will have a first reading of its budget for fiscal year 2010 at its Nov. 23 meeting, with an anticipated budget of $10.1 million.

Rincon City Manager Mike Phillips made a budget presentation at Monday night’s council meeting, and the budget is in line with 2008 and 2007 budget actuals.

In his presentation, Phillips said it was reasonable to expect the economy to turn around in the next six months.

“The budget last year was a little bit lower,” he said. “But we had a weaker economy last year.”

The proposed budget is available for public review. Phillips said a few changes likely will be made. Changes could be made until the second reading, scheduled for Dec. 14.

The budget is over 30 pages long and will probably be put up on the city’s Web site after the city has voted to adopt it.

Phillips said the city is looking at several special projects that are expected to benefit the city.

“We’re looking at a spray field situation,” he said. “We’re looking at some recreation improvements. There’s a lot of things coming online. So there will be a little more cost in one area, like recreation, than perhaps there were last year, in that same area.”

In other council news, $1 million was transferred from one bank to another in order to take advantage of a better interest rate. The change will net the city $18,000 in interest earnings.

The city is also debating whether to change its method of assessing its occupation tax fees. This money goes into the general fund and there was an increase this year because of more aggressive collection efforts. City staff said it’s usually figured by the number of employees in a business, but that in comparing other area cities’ methods, some go by gross sales receipts. City Planner LaMeisha Hunter will prepare two different proposals for council to review.

Council also voted to sponsor this year’s Lions Club Christmas Parade for $500 plus police and public works time and effort. This will be the same sponsorship as the past two years and will be taken out of the community promotion budget.

Along with this discussion, talk turned to calls from the community regarding renting the Hinely Center and Lions Club building for holiday parties and meetings. Recreation Director David Wooten said that if they could get their planned construction efforts under way soon, they should be able to get the flooring and the bathroom finished in time for parties.