Council considers preliminary budget

The Cathlamet Town Council took a first look at the preliminary budget for 2012 at a special meeting Tuesday night.

In its preliminary form, the budget totals $1.27 million in revenue and $1.29 in expenses, a deficit of $17,000 (numbers are rounded).

The council will have to make adjustments in the Current Expense Fund of $60,000 if it wants to end the 2012 year with a cash balance on hand, said Councilmember David Goodroe.

The 2011 budget totaled $1.69 million, but it includes uncompleted street improvement work that could be bumped into 2012.

The budget also includes 3 percent cost of living adjustment raises for town employees, some of whom haven't had raises in four years.

Representatives of several departments attended the meeting to discuss their budgets.

Assistant Fire Chief Fred Johnson and Clerk/Treasurer Tina Schubert said their proposals for the fire department were quite similar. Department spending will be down, Johnson said, because the department has had a grant that paid for new gear, and it is ending.

Beau Renfro, captain of the department's Emergency Services/First Aid Division, said he was satisified with the preliminary budget for that division. He did say he was concerned that the budget line for fuel was reduced; Schubert said that was based on an analysis of use in previous years.

Schubert said she was proposing that in April, 2012, the town hire a part-time clerk to handle EMS billing. The town is taking over that task, and a committee that includes Schubert and Renfro is working on paperwork to complete the transfer.

Schubert also explained that the budget line for stipends paid to emergency medical technicians (EMT) for being on call for ambulance calls is being moved to the professional fees line item. This will allow payments to be made without classifying the EMTs as employees needing state Labor and Industries coverage.

The proposed budget for the swimming pool shows an increase. Schubert said the 2011 budget was based on a four-day per week schedule, but the pool was open six days a week this year under direction of a new manager.

Councilmembers noted that a contract with Wahkiakum County for funding support for the pool expires this year. They said they hope to negotiate a new contract with continued funding, and that the pool would have to close without the funding.

Councilmembers agreed they need to have a discussion on sewer rates. The town will call for bids in early 2012 for construction of a new waste water treatment plant, and an increase is needed to help cover the upgrade.

Rates are $45 per month now and need to be around $70. They said they would consider a gradual increase over several years, perhaps starting with a $5 increase in 2012.

A public meeting would be held before rates are increased, they said.

The council will hold a public hearing on the budget at its regular monthly meeting next Monday.