Fort Scott budget for 2008 lowers levy by 2.62 mills

The Fort Scott City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the 2008 budget that reduces the mill levy by 2.62 mills and allots more money for street upgrades and personnel for the codes department.

The mill levy will go from this year's 43.7 mills to 41.08 mills. That means in 2008, a property owner whose house has an assessed value of $80,000 will pay $3,286 in property taxes based under the new mill levy. Under this year's mill levy, the owner would have to pay $3,496. (To calculate your property tax, multiply the property's assessed valuation by the mill levy and divide that number by 1,000.)

Historically, the city's mill levy has decreased consistently since 2003. However, it jumped up two mills from 2006 to 2007. In 2003, the mill was 48.11.

Even though the mill will decrease, the city will collect around $100,000 more in taxes than it did this year, City Manager Richard Nienstedt said at the commission meeting Tuesday, where commissioners passed the budget. The reason is that Bourbon County's assessed valuation is estimated to jump from $43.7 million to $48.5 million next year. The valuation could fluctuate. If it drops, so does the city's tax revenue. Any increased tax revenues will be dispersed throughout the general fund.

The city's 2008 budget has expenditures totaling $12.02 million, up $1.1 million from last year's budget.

City officials started working on the budget in April, and commissioners conducted several work sessions in which they hashed out various issues with the document. As a result, commissioners didn't discuss the budget at the meeting.

Staff budgeted an additional $50,000 for street maintenance and repairs. The extra money was mostly based on the increased costs of oil, Finance Director Susan Brown said. Officials transferred $250,000 from the street fund in the general fund to special highway and street funds. The transfer will ensure that the money will be used.

Perhaps the most notable component in the 2008 budget is the increase in money allotted for the codes department. Money designated for codes will spike to $74,744 in this budget, an increase of 53 percent.

The money will go toward salaries and benefits for two new codes department positions.

One of the positions is that of a codes technician who'll work under the codes director. The other is that of a community development officer.

The full-time positions have not yet been filled.

Other notable personnel issues in the budget include a $50-per-month increase or $600 annually to employees health insurance contribution and a 3-percent annual increase in salaries for employees plus a 1-percent end-of-year bonus.

Also, the budget allots $100,000 for staffing at the new fire station on the east side of town. However, commissioners authorized Public Safety Director Jeff Davis to apply for a federal grant that pays for salaries of firefighters working out of the station. It will be the second time the city has applied for the grant. An earlier application was denied last year.

The fund for police increased by $34,884 from the 2007 budget. The fire fund decreased by $14,731, and dispatch rose $17,270.

In other business at Tuesday's meeting, commissioners conducted the following business:

* Declared the Stout Building at 11 E. First St. dangerous and unsafe and gave the owner 60 days to decide whether to repair the numerous codes violations and hazardous living conditions found in the structure or to demolish the building.

* Approved giving $10,000 to the Fort Scot Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Division for additional Christmas lighting and repair work for the public address system at Skubitz Plaza. The money was included in the 2007 budget.