Spanish Fork sees budget climb

SPANISH FORK — The Spanish Fork City Council this week had its first look at a proposed $61.7 million budget for fiscal year 2007 and now begins the process of making sure the pie is fairly divided about 25,000 ways.

The proposed budget marks a $15 million increase from the $46.7 million budget in 2006, mainly because of a planned $14 million public-safety facility the city hopes to bond for later this year.

Spanish Fork residents can expect some minor rate changes if the budget is approved in its current form, both increases and decreases.

Pressurized irrigation rates would see the largest decrease, with the base rate falling from $14.75 per month to $13.75 per month and usage rates seeing a slight decrease as well, from $1 per 1,000 gallons to 98 cents per 1,000 gallons.

Solid waste fees would also decrease by 85 cents per can, as the city will no longer be using solid waste funds to subsidize the city's swimming pool.

The most significant increase residents would see would be in sewage rates, where the monthly base rate would increase from $10.75 to $11.50, while sewer water usage rates would rise from 83 cents per 1,000 gallons to $1.13 per 1,000 gallons.

The sewer rate increases are necessary, city staff advised the council, to begin to replace 276 blocks of aging sewer lines and to build a $1.9 million waste water treatment plant expansion.

The storm drain fee would also see a slight rise, from $2.25 per month to $3 per month.

Subscribers to the city's cable television service would see a $1 monthly increase to expanded basic and digital basic rates, while high definition subscribers would see a slight decrease in their rate.

Assistant city manager Seth Perrins said there are a number of much-needed projects included in the budget, such as a power substation and a water storage tank, and the challenge was prioritizing the requests of each department and funding the city's biggest needs.

"The challenge is looking ahead and knowing everything you need to do, sometimes a year in advance," he said. "But it's a fun challenge that way, because you're tackling a very important process."

As in years past, the 2007 budget would transfer excess revenue out of utility funds to balance other funds. This year, all those transfers have been taken out of the electric fund, for a total of nearly $1.1 million — $841,000 for the general fund, $165,000 for the golf course and $73,000 for the swimming pool.