Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon City Council held their first workshop session on the budget for the coming fiscal year Tuesday.
The session began with requests from the various City departments. Police Chief Lyle Bolkema told the council that they have included the amount of wages to account for the hiring of a an additional full-time officer. He pointed out that statistically, Sheldon is very low in the number of officers the city has per one thousand people, with just one officer for every 741 people. He also asked for funds for additional equipment and training. This includes a total of fifty thousand dollars for new car cameras, body cameras and software upgrades.
The Fire Department asked for an increase of the chiefs wages that have not seen an increase for fifteen years. They also asked for an increase in the stipend for calls and meetings from $15.00 to $15.50.
The Crossroads Pavilion Board reported that their goal is to gain budget stability as they work through the first couple of budget cycles. They reported that their revenue is up, but with that costs go up as well. One item they definitely need is a catering driveway, because caterers now have to drive on the grass. They also are looking for funds for basic repairs and improvements in the future, which could be funded through a 13.5-cent optional property tax levy that’s allowed by law.
In other funding requests, the Community Building needs a total of $120-thousand for roof repairs. Public Works Director Todd Uhl said the street department is requesting $63-thousand for two dump trucks and one pickup. They are also asking for $175-thousand for asphalt overlay and crack sealing for city streets. When asked why more of the streets that are in bad condition were not being re-surfaced, Uhl explained that there is a limited amount of Road Use Tax Funds available from the state, and the city is in no position to spend additional money for streets at this time.
If the proposed budget is passed as it is, the total property tax levy would be $15.54 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation compared to $13.86 in the current fiscal year. If the Events Center Levy is added, the total would increase to $15.67.
The Council’s second Budget Workshop is scheduled for this Wednesday (January 30th).
