City passes still skinny fiscal year budget          

[April 26, 2007]  In an adjourned, adjourned meeting on Tuesday evening, the Lincoln City Council approved a new fiscal year budget. Finance chairman Verl Prather thanked the five committee members and the other council members who came to the budget sessions. "Almost all of the sessions everyone showed up, made their comments, did their part and did what they needed to do," he said. "This helped work out the difficult budget."

Prather also recognized Mayor Beth Davis, City Clerk Melanie Riggs and Treasurer Les Plotner for the work they contributed. He said that he appreciated the department heads' understanding and restraint.

Energy, fuel and petroleum byproduct road construction materials constitute some of the rising costs for government operations and projects this year.

The committee and officials hacked away until the proposed $700,000 deficit budget became one that would end with a healthy black figure.

"This is by no means a plush budget," Prather said. "There were things we had to cut that we'd like to have and that we probably need. This budget has no mention of the Fifth Street Road project. One street project was eliminated. With the revenues that we anticipated, it is a balanced budget, and that is what we are committed to do each year."

The 2007-2008 fiscal year budget begins May 1.

This year's budget figures in comparison with last year:

• 2007-2008 fiscal year budget before transfers: $13,659,384

• Fiscal year budget after transfers and state and federal funding: $10,520,427
   

• 2006-2007 fiscal year budget before transfers: $15,272,318
• Fiscal year budget after transfers and state and federal funding: $10,366,738

More specifically:

General fund only:

• 2007-2008 fiscal year budget after transfers: $4,741.988

• 2006-2007 fiscal year budget after transfers: $4,638,392

All other funds:

• 2007-2008 fiscal year budget after transfers: $5,778.439

• 2006-2007 fiscal year budget after transfers: $5,728,346

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