After changes to the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget, including a 2.5 cent tax increase, Tryon Town Council approved its new budget with no increases in the tax rate or water/sewer services.
The new fiscal year began Tuesday, July 1.
Tryon Town Council met June 17 and discussed the latest draft of the budget as well as held a public hearing with no comments being made.
The town recessed its regular meeting until June 26 in order to approve budget amendments for the year-end 2014 budget as well as to approve the new budget.
The proposed budget totals $4,122,563 with the same tax rate as this year at 50.28 cents per $100 of property valuation.
Additions proposed for next year include for one full-time patrol officer position for the police department. The police department has a decrease for next year for overtime and also has $5,000 allocated to purchase a used vehicle.
Tryon Town Manager Joey Davis said police chief Jeff Arrowood has requested the new patrol officer for the last 11 years.
Commissioner George Baker said town council looked at Arrowood’s request favorably, saying Tryon has a dangerous situation out there.
“We have one officer in the middle of the night by themselves,” Baker said. “If they need back up, it ain’t there folks. We can’t have an officer out there by themselves.”
The street department budget includes a transfer of $40,000 from fund balance for sidewalk rehabilitation on both sides of Maple Street and the intersection of Trade Street. The town’s funding is being used in conjunction with a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation for the sidewalks.
The town’s general fund debt service is proposed to show approximately $26,000 in contingency. Davis said he is recommending to leave the funding in contingency until the town sees how revenues, especially for state hold harmless and sales tax revenues next year come in. Tryon can also choose to move the approximate $26,000 to fund balance.
The water and sewer fund is proposed to keep revenues and rates as the current year.
The water and sewer fund does include a salary adjustment for increased responsibilities because of the creation of the assistant public works director.
The proposed water/sewer fund includes $6,500 for a storm water study along the stream bank through East Howard Street.
The sewer plant budget includes $25,000 for sludge removal next year and $11,000 in capital outlay for equipment needed for a process change at the plant, which the town will finance at a 1.5 year payback.
The proposed budget also includes $19,000 towards street and sidewalk repairs throughout town. Tryon can pursue a loan for any street and sidewalk repair with the payback funded through state Powell Bill funding.
The fire department and Harmon Field budgets are being proposed at the same tax rates as this year.
A third position for Harmon Field was taken out of the initial budget proposal. Harmon Field has two full-time employees and a shared part-time employee with the town.
Harmon Field is entering its final year of an improvement loan repayment that will free up approximately $12,000 for the fiscal year 2015-2016 budget.
There is no employee raise included in the budget, but the town does plan to give holiday bonuses.