The Guthrie city council unanimously approved the $33 million budget, which includes all funds and transfers, for the upcoming fiscal year at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The general fund budget is set at $12.5M compared to last year’s $12.9 million general budget fund.
The City will begin with a fund balance of $1.4 million for the fiscal year compared to $1.2 million in 2019. The fund balance in 2016-17 was only $374,863.
The additional funding ($196,658) is due to vacant positions within the City.
This year’s general fund budget will have a decrease of $391,182 (three percent) compared to the previous budget year. City Manager Leroy Alsup says the decrease will come from reducing overtime hours and margins of error in some line items.
The budget will allow step increases for employees, but not for cost of living adjustment (COLA). Also, an accountant position will be added and budgeting for.
Equipment operators within Public Works will see an increase in salary. Operator’s salaries will begin at $12.35 and with six months of employment and obtaining a commercial license would increase to $13 per hour.
Sales tax revenue this past fiscal year was down two percent compared to the previous (2017-18) banner year.
Alsup says the City will look to do a study and find why there was a decrease in overall sales tax. However, Alsup believes the hotel and motel tax being down 13 percent ($30,000) has played a role in the lower sales tax numbers.
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