06-06-03 City

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	Local News - June 2003


	City adopts $24 million budget


	The Lincolnton City Council adopted the 2003-04 budget ordinance during their Thursday night meeting. Here, Councilman Les Cloninger and Mayor Bobby Huittlisten to the presentation. (LTN photo by Jenny Walling)


			Published June 6, 2003

		Click to enlarge

By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer

It was a public hearing minus the public.

The Lincolnton City Council Thursday night held a public hearing on the proposed 2003-04 budget and received no comments from residents. Besides a couple members of city staff, the room was empty.

Immediately after the hearing, council adopted the $24 million budget ordinance.

The budget includes a 6 percent increase in water and sewer fees, but it contains no tax increase.

Municipal services will also remain at the same level.

City Manager Jeff Emory said he is proud that the budget holds the line on taxes and cuts no city services.

“I also think it speaks highly for the city that this is the first water and sewer increase in three years, and even though the city will experience an increase in electrical costs, we did not pass this on to our citizens,” Emory said in a memo to council.

It was another difficult budget year for the city, which is facing the first year of payback on several large capital projects.

Lincolnton will have to pay $2.8 million in debt service this year.

The budget includes a 2.5 percent cost of living adjustments for employees but adds no new staff positions.

A $117,000 city match to fund an expansion to the Marcia L. Cloninger Rail-Trail, new police vehicles costing $81,000, a $95,000 roll off truck and a $125,000 match for development of Highland Drive Park are including in the budget.

Lincolnton will have to pull about $2 million from its fund balance to balance the budget.

In other business, council:

· Raised the hotel/motel occupancy tax rate from 2 percent to 3 percent after a public hearing which brought no comments. The city adopted the 2 percent rate last year.

· Adopted a resolution accepting and endorsing Lincoln County’s 2003 solid waste plan after hearing a presentation from Bill Duston from Centralina Council of Governments.

· Approved rezoning requests from Neil Mullen, Floyd Dean and Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation.

· Appointed Councilman Fred Houser to serve on the Lincoln Economic Development Association board.

Rescheduled the July 3 council meeting to July 17 due to conflicts.


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