City News

Ala.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox presented his recommendation for the fiscal year 2014 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 $130,563,497 general fund budget includes a contingency balance of $301,658. The water and sewer fund budget includes revenues of $41,766,826 and expenses of $44,189,687. The general fund revenue collections improved during the 2013 fiscal year in most revenue categories. A two percent growth rate in the city sales tax and a three percent growth rate in the county sales tax collections were assumed for 2014. Employee cost of living raises are included. No step raises are included. The City's health insurance fund has performed much better since converting from a composite rate to a tier system. However, a small premium increase is reflected in the 2014 budget. There were small increases for a few City funded agencies including PARA, the library, Indian Rivers, the Tuscaloosa Symphony, The Murphy Museum, the YMCA “Learn to Swim program”  and IDA. New agencies added in 2014 were the West Alabama Neighborhood Promise, Tuscaloosa Spay and Neuter Incentive and Arts €˜n Autism.For a complete review of the proposed budget, click here. For the mayor's memorandum to the City Council, click here: