City Council approves $9,385,549 budget

At the Oct. 17, 2022, El Dorado Springs City Council meeting, the council voted to approve a $9,385,549 comprehensive budget for fiscal year 22-23 beginning Oct. 1, 2022. The original budget requests were $10,417,566.

Council members Jim Luster, Gabby Kinnett, Nathan Murrell, and Mayor Cory Gayman were present along with City Manager Bruce Rogers and City Clerk Kandi Baldwin. Council member Glenda Baker was absent.

The money was allocated for the General Fund – $1,509,936; Water/Sewer – $2,093,284;

Electric $4,768, 932; Recreation $562,271; Cemetery $60,336; Picnic – $54,100; Band – $38,250; Eco Dev – $10,220 and Cap Imp – $288,220.

Rogers said there is an 3% cost of living increase in the budget.

Section 3 of the ordinance adopting the comprehensive budget reads,” that the City of El Dorado Springs shall not increase the amount for expenditures from any fund unless the governing body adopts a resolution setting forth the facts and reasons making the increase necessary and adopts an ordinance to authorize the expenditures (s).” Section 4 reads,” that during the budget year, the City of El Dorado Springs by resolution of the City Council may transfer any unencumbered balance or portion from the expenditure authorized of one department, office, commission, or other classification to another.”

City Manager Bruce Rogers said that adopting a city budget was an annual event.

Luster said he wondered if the council was being pennywise but pound foolish in denying some of the requested expenditures.  Kinnett said she would like to review the budget periodically.

The council also repealed a section of Ordinance 1942 dealing with licensing.

Rogers said that an engineer could be at the Nov. 7 council meeting to discuss the pool project. Rogers said there would be a public forum after the regular meeting.

Rogers also said the fire department was doing tests on the pumper trucks to maintain the city’s ISO rating of 4.