City News

City of Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox presented his recommendation for the fiscal year 2016 operating budgets at tonight’s City Council meeting. The budgets include the general fund and the water and sewer fund.
 
Specific comments and recommendations include:

• The $139,332,712 general fund budget includes a contingency balance of $408,775. The water and sewer fund budget includes revenues of $48,136,134  and expenses of $53,010,157.

• The redistribution of the county sales tax goes into effect in June 2016. The City’s share of the county sales tax for 2016 is budgeted in two places in the Intergovernmental Revenue section. One is for the old two percent amount ($10,377,750) and another is for the new three percent amount ($3,930,000). The City Schools’ share is still budgeted in a single amount since the new legislation did not change their share.

• Employee cost of living raises of 1.7 percent are included. Health insurance premiums will increase by 7.5 percent, as required by Blue Cross.

• City-funded agencies were generally level funded; however, there was a $20,000 increase for FOCUS and a $71,162 increase for PARA (1.7 percent). The Education category includes $60,000 for the Helping Schools Initiative.

• The 2016 budget includes a $1 adjustment on garbage rates in October 2015 and a 2 percent increase in water and sewer rates, which would be the lowest percentage increase in recent years.

For a complete review of the proposed budget, click here.