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Preliminary budget numbers presented to the council projects revenue and expenditures at roughly the same level as last year, Briggs said.
The budget includes no pay raises, Briggs said, and anticipates a 10 percent increase in health insurance expenses.
The city staff initially proposed a worker furlough plan that would have had every worker taking one day of unpaid leave each month to make up the anticipated shortfall in sales tax revenue. However, the city council later decided to use a $294,000 settlement in a lawsuit with AT&T to make up that difference.
Briggs explained that while the sales tax revenue is falling about 5 percent behind last year, the city calculated a 3 percent growth in sales tax in the current budget, which actually puts the city at an 8 percent shortfall in anticipated revenue for budget purposes.
However, he said, the city did see some revenue growth in other areas which has helped improve the budget outlook somewhat.
Briggs said only two new projects are proposed to be funded with capital improvement sales tax funds in the coming year. The allocations are $15,000 for an engineering/design study for the library and $75,000 for new tennis courts at Optimist Park.
There also will be some carryover projects in the capital sales tax fund.
The proposed general fund budget projects revenue of $9,681,555 and expenditures of $8,727,865. The current amended general fund budget shows revenue at $9,763,830 and expenditures at $8,617,110.
The general fund covers the budgets of most city departments like administration, police, communications, streets, airport, parks and recreation and economic development.
Of the total expenditures projected in the general fund, $6,011,040 goes for employee salaries and benefits; $2,578,195 for operations and maintenance; $43,570 for tools and equipment; $75,060 for capital outlay; and $20,000 for debt service.
The special revenue funds portion of the budget includes $580,210 for the volunteer fire department and $381,365 for the public library.
Capital project expenditures proposed in the new budget include $495,000 for stormwater management; $664,800 for vehicles and equipment; $90,000 from the half-cent capital improvement sales tax; $1,588,200 from the half-cent transportation sales tax fund.
Expenditures in the wastewater department are projected at $855,475 for personnel and operations, plus $1,824,215 for debt service on the new treatment plant. Revenues for the fund are estimated at $3,145,540 for the year.
Preliminary figures for the water department budget include $1,34,136 in revenue, while expenses are estimated at $1,084,515.
Expenditures in the solid waste department budget are anticipated at $1,969,420, compared to projected revenue of $1,973,200.
A complete list of capital improvement projects in the new budget, including the carryover projects, will be available later.
