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Special City Council Meetrng <br />July 27, 2004 <br />Page 8 <br />Mayor Fendley said the next item was discussion and consideration of possible <br />direction to City Staff for the proposed Financial Year 2004-2005 City Budget. <br />Interim City Manager Terry Townsend said that the Council had received the <br />draft which has a 7.08% cut which is $1,593,562 taken from the General Fund. <br />Mr. Townsend suggested that these funds could be used to reduce the debt, <br />decrease the tax rate, or various other priorities set by the community and the <br />Council. He did say that although these cuts have been made, his goal was to <br />maintain city services and programs that the tax payers have come to enj oy. He <br />indicated that all the budget changes were a reflection of his own beliefs, and <br />not to any specific directions from the Council to cut any certain services or <br />departments. <br />Mr. Townsend said of these items were already discussed in the Sub- <br />committee. He recommended changing the Employee Pension Fund match 2 <br />to 1 to 1 to l, which would be equivalent to a savings of $280,587.00. He <br />suggested that the contribution on health insurance for employees and retirees <br />at $50.00 per month per person would be equivalent to $250,549.00. He <br />recommended that there be no stability pay for a savings of $76,050.00. He also <br />recommended there be no sell back of sick leave or vacation which is <br />equivalent to $81,665.00. He finally recommended that the workforce be <br />reduced by fourteen (14) positions to include three fire fighters, $132,290.00, <br />2 police clerks, $61,751.00, 2 library clerks, $62, 243.00, 1 library para- <br />professional, $38,436.00 and 6 public works mechanics, $263,754.00 including <br />benefits. He noted that the reduction in the garage would mean closing the <br />garage completely and that work would be subbed out to local shops, which <br />would mean an increase in fees for that work. <br />He did note that the TXU Franchise fees were not included in the budget <br />numbers. <br />Finance Director Anderson related that they received the certified tax roll the <br />day before from Lamar County Appraisal District for a total taxable value of <br />$1,136,263,007.00, which made the current property tax revenue come in <br />