By Jaymie Mordue
Stuart Town Council members on Wednesday discussed the proposed budget for fiscal 2020.
The spending plan includes 2 percent raises for employees, an increase in the town’s insurance contribution for employees, from 10 to 15 percent, and a surplus of $40,000 that can be spent on other projects.
The increased revenues are courtesy of a 6 percent increase over the current fiscal budget, according to Stuart Mayor Ray Weiland. He said that proceeds generated by the town’s meals tax helped drive the revenue increase.
Weiland estimated the town will have an estimated $40,000 surplus, which will be tapped to work on the town projects at the sewer plant and a building renovation of the Stuart Volunteer Fire Department’s new facility.
The meals tax “certainly is our saving grace. Without it, we probably wouldn’t be able to afford to take care of our fire department and to do the upgrades on our sewer plant as well,” Weiland said. “I think it’s helped both of those projects. We’ve done other things to our utilities to bring up our income there, and we’ve done pretty well on the sewer side of it.”
“I think we’re on track to get these projects done and hopefully still be in good shape,” he said.
“We look pretty good. Everything is falling in line.”
According to the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, general fund revenues are $872,000; appropriations (expenses) include an operating budget of $438,000 and administration expenses of $461,250, for a total of $899,350.
The proposed budget also includes the sanitation fund, water and sewer fund, and related expenses.
A public hearing will be held on the proposal during the May 15 council meeting.
In other matters Wednesday:
*Town Manager Terry Tilley said that he is working with Jonathan Holt and Andrew Dalton, Wastewater Treatment Plant manager on a continued problem with oil being dumped in excessive amounts and invading the sewage plant.
Town Attorney Chris Corbett said an investigation may be needed to identify where the oil is originating from and how it is getting into the plant.
*A draft agreement for the town’s pilot program of using goats to address kudzu issues was presented. It states, in part, that goat owners will provide healthy, preferably hornless goats to the program for free. In return, the town will supply fencing as well as signage to warn of electric fencing and to warn passersby not feed or otherwise disturb the goats.
The agreement also calls for the town to provide water and shelter, as well as morning and afternoon wellness checks on weekdays.
Town employees, however, “are not able to serve as goat herders and cannot provide constant supervision.” The goat owner must provide any necessary supervision.
*Council members discussed a plan to scrub down and pressure wash the red caboose to remove the white chalkiness and then evaluate whether it should be repainted, Weiland said. A date was not set for the scrub down.
*The council also heard from John Pendleton, a member of the county’s Broadband Committee. He discussed the continued need for broadband upgrades in the county and the town.
The committee hopes to test a pilot program that would start with Stuart and branch out into other areas in the community, Pendleton said, adding that a partnership with the town and the county would possibly result in additional grant opportunities.
Town officials asked for more information to be presented, possibly at their meeting in June.
