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includes any increases that may be due employees under the city's classification and pay plan. The city staff with encouragement from the City Council has diligently and successfully pursued grant funding to meet a variety of needs in the community. Capital outlay included in the total budget of$35,964,459.00 is $800,522.00. Grants represent 3.27% of General Fund revenues. The proposed budget represents an increase of$544,201.00, or 1.53%, over the 2002-2003 budget. The Operations and Maintenance outlay for all funds totals $43,342,190.00. With regard to revenue, our municipal sales tax is up 3.5% over last year's budget. There is a 2.26% increase in our taxable value. Our EMS collections are up approximately $200,000.00, or 14.2%. With the recent increases in water and wastewater rates, it will take several fiscal years to bring the Water and Sewer Fund into balance. I am recommending the addition of a part time person to assist the Finance Director in personnel matters and I am recommending that the City Council rescind the decision to cut five additional firefighters through attrition. As you are aware, one firefighter position and three police patrol positions were eliminated from the budget by Council last year due to financial constraints. My proposed budget this year would add back the deleted firefighter position and pick up half of the cost of three police patrol positions for which grant funding has expired. The school districts will be picking up the other half of the cost of those positions. I continue to support the staffing levels for the Fire Department that were recommended by Chief Grooms and the committee composed of council members and citizens who were instrumental in establishing the four fire station configuration and recommended staffing that we have today. I wish to acknowledge and thank the staff for their assistance in preparing the materials presented in this document. I believe that through orderly discussion and examination of the information presented herein that the City Council can reach a consensus and that a responsible budget can be adopted. I appreciate the advice, support, and cooperation afforded to me by members of the City Council. I know that you are presented with a difficult challenge. Thank you for your voluntary service to the citizens of this community and your willingness to tackle these important issues. Respectfully submitted, ~:(~~ City Manager