No budget yet, but water rate hike will be less

Mooresville taxpayers are going to have to wait one more week for the final word on the town's proposed 2010-11 fiscal year budget.

At their meeting Monday night, commissioners decided to delay approving the $82 million budget until June 28 so they can hear a more detailed presentation from town staffers on some of the proposed budget changes.

The spending plan slashes departmental budgets and freezes some town positions to cope with rising costs, but it currently doesn't require a tax increase. The board hopes to keep the tax rate at the town's current rate of 58 cents per $100 of valuation.

Perhaps even better news for residents, though, is the town's decision not to raise water and sewer rates as high as expected. Instead of approving the recommended hikes of 10 percent for water and 17.5 percent for sewer, commissioners OK'd increases of 3 percent for water and 7.5 percent for sewer.

For an average residential customer, that means water and sewer bills are likely to raise about 5.6 percent overall, compared to the 14 percent overall hike that was recommended. A 5.6 percent increase equates to about $4 more on a typical monthly water/sewer bill.

Commissioners discussed both the proposed water and sewer rates and the proposed budget heatedly on Monday, covering funding issues from the town's golf course to its subsidizing of school safety officers.

Board members largely came to a consensus on water and sewer rates: The lower rate suggested passed 5-1 with Commissioner Miles Atkins voting no. The board did decide, however, to hold off on its budget vote until June 28. That meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

The reason for doing so, said Atkins, was because of a certain level of "frustration" with the entire budgeting process. Atkins said he really wanted to "peel back the layers" of the process and look at the town's efficiencies on a larger scale.

But, said Atkins, "I don't feel like that happened."

Town Manager Steve Husemann reminded the board that the process of putting together an annual budget has always been essentially the same. Town staff, he said, has worked hard to include the recommended expenditures and cuts that the board suggested at its budget work sessions earlier this month.

"We tried to incorporate as many of the changes as possible," he said.

Still, said Commissioner Chris Carney, the board should table the budget for one more week so that it can have a summary of all changes made to the budget on a single page.

Acting on a single document in one piece, he said, would afford the board with "some confidence" in the process.

Added Commissioner Mac Herring, "I think Commissioner Carney's recommendation is a good one."

Atkins asked what would happen if the budget wasn't approved next week. Director of Finance and Administration Maia Setzer said the town would have to set its tax rate and make provisions to cover any expenses incurred by the town until the budget was approved.

Brian Barnett, a budget and benchmarking analyst for the town, said he'd be glad to prepare a list of all changes made to the budget since the town's two workshops but that there were no large changes to consider.

"You're looking at a list of small, minute stuff," he said.

Still, said Carney, it was important for the board to see a single list chronicling exactly what has been added in and what has been taken out.

Staff's perspective, he said, "comes across as 'come on guys, you remember this.' " He said he understood that staff has been looking at these numbers consistently, but the board is dealing with "millions of dollars" and has only seen the numbers a few times.

"The process makes it very difficult if you can't look at it in black and white and see what comes in and what comes out," he said.

Carney motioned to continue the budget hearing until June 28 and was seconded by Atkins. The motion carried unanimously.

Also at Monday's meeting, the board:
*Heard a presentation from Pine Lake Preparatory School requesting that the town consider shared use of the school's proposed Athletic and Community Center (ACC).
*Agreed to move forward with the demolition of a vacant house near the corner of Moore and Church streets, but decided to further discuss the development of the lot into parking at the board's July meeting. Husemann shared with the board an interim step: Nineteen potential parking spaces that could be put to use primarily by implementing small changes such as moving dumpsters or unused utility poles.
*Agreed to appoint Commissioners Atkins and Rhett Dusenbury to serve on a committee that will discuss the funding of the Mooresville Transfer Station. The town plans to submit a letter to the county that indicates that it will "discontinue municipal use of the transfer station and hence discontinue any payments for the use of that facility as of June 30 2010." (For more on this story, see Friday's Mooresville Tribune).
*Approved the request from East Coast Pyrotechnics to perform the Lowe's YMCA's fireworks on July 3.
*Discussed the progress of the special assessment improvement district (SAID) bond application on behalf of Langtree at the Lake, LLC (for more on this story, see Friday's Tribune).