City News

Tuscaloosa, Ala. – City of Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox presented his recommendation for the fiscal year 2015 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 $132,063,208 general fund budget includes a contingency balance of $301,780. The water and sewer fund budget includes revenues of $44,490,855 and expenses of $47,384,869.

• In the 2014 fiscal year, both the city sales tax and the county sales tax collections are projected to be less than the amounts budgeted. Therefore, the 2015 general fund revenue budgets are to be level funded, based on the projected collections for 2014. Ad Valorem tax and lodging tax were increased slightly due to known additions on the horizon in 2015.

• Employee cost of living raises of 1.6 percent and step raises (one step) are included. Health insurance premiums remained unchanged, due to 2014 being a very good year following the conversion to tier rates.

• City-funded agencies were level funded.

• The 2015 budget includes a $1 adjustment on garbage rates in October of 2014, to be followed by another 65 cents the next year, and a three percent increase in water and sewer rates, which would be the lowest percentage increase in recent years.

• Several cost-saving techniques were utilized during the budgeting process, including delaying some equipment purchases and reviewing polices on "take home" vehicles.

For a complete review of the proposed budget and mayor’s memorandum to the City Council, click here.