Bluffdale finds funds for unexpected bills

BLUFFDALE — The Bluffdale City Council had $290,000 in unexpected bills and just enough money to pay them.

The City Council reopened the 2006-07 fiscal year budget Tuesday to cover expenses for which it hadn't budgeted. Items included nearly $60,000 for severance package for former administrative services director Brent Bluth and $90,000 in legal fees.

Of those legal costs, at least $60,000 is the result of two lawsuits filed against the City Council by Mayor Claudia Anderson.

Other costs covered by the shuffling Tuesday include a $124,000 payment to a developer for water-line improvements; a $10,000 boost to the city's Town Days celebration, bringing the event's price tag to $31,000; $6,000 for the pending June 26 referendum election on the city's form of government; and $1,000 to cover two months' salary to hire a part-time building official for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Money for water-line improvements needed only to be allocated from the city's capital-projects funds, and the other items were paid for with money available in the general fund, said Dave Sanderson, a financial advisor for the city.

The council chose not to boost funding for law enforcement. Bluffdale has been under fire recently from neighboring Riverton and Herriman for not providing 24-hour police coverage.

Budget amendments presented by Sanderson to the council included $20,000 to cover costs for an additional deputy with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office for the final two months of the fiscal year.

However, councilman Bill Maxwell said it would take about two months to get an additional patrol deputy in place, so adding the position for the final two months of the fiscal year doesn't make sense.

"Even if we add the money in this year's budget, it's not going to happen anyway," agreed councilwoman Nancy Lord. "So why amend the budget for it?"

Sanderson said $120,000 for an additional deputy is proposed for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. He also said next year's budget likely won't require a property-tax increase.

Also Tuesday, the council approved the hiring of Sanderson as the city's interim administrative-services director.

Sanderson takes over for former state Rep. Dave Hogue, R-Riverton, who vacated the position last month after the court ruled the mayor didn't have authority to hire him without the council's consent.

The court also determined that Anderson's firing of Bluth in January was invalid, though Bluth opted not to return to work and instead reached a settlement with the city.

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