Proposed Hartselle budget includes 3% raise for employees, mayor
For the Enquirer
A proposed fiscal 2025 budget in Hartselle includes a 3% cost-of-living raise for all full-time employees and for the mayor, as well as several new hires.
Hartselle Mayor Randy Garrison, the City Council and several department heads attended a review of the budget at a work session this week.
The mayor’s raise would bring his salary to $74,227 plus a $5,000 car allowance for a total of $79,227, records show.
It is only a proposed budget and won’t take effect unless the council adopts it at an upcoming meeting.
The proposed $18.4 mil-lion budget anticipates a 2% increase in sales tax revenue over fiscal 2024 and a 25% increase in fees due to increased development.
“The budget presented to the council consists of many hours of diligent work and meetings with department heads, who spend extended amounts of time in preparation for this task each year,” Garrison said.
Total projected revenue is $18.4 million and total projected expenses are $17 million, including $10.8 million – 58.9% of the budget – in projected personnel expenses.
In other areas, administration and Parks and Recreation took up the highest percentages of the overall budget at 5.31% and 4.57% respectively. Projected revenue from alcohol sales in the fiscal 2024 budget was $400,000, minus 15% ($60,000) that will go to schools for the next fiscal year. Projected capital expense requests totaled $3.4 million.
The budget calls for some new hires and some employment changes in various departments, including: Hiring one part-time information technology assistant in the Administration Department.
Hiring one administrative assistant in the Police Department.
Changing three firefighter positions to three fire lieutenant positions in the Fire Department.
Hiring one automotive technician in the Public Works Department.
Eliminating the assistant director position in Parks and Recreation, which will help cover a full-time pool manager instead of a seasonal position, plus a full-time park maintenance position and another parttime recreation leader position.
Splitting two departments – Development and Engineering – which will result in a pay-grade increase for the city planner to director of the Development Department.
On the revenue side, sales and use tax is currently 2.67% above last year’s revenue to date. Both business license fees and property tax showed a 2% gain. TVA inlieu-of-tax funds continued to decrease. Tax revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages is estimated at $400,000, a projected increase.
As for expenses, utilities were flat at most facilities, gas and oil were flat or decreased in most departments, as were those at nonprofits. Property and liability insurance costs were budgeted with a 15% expected increase.
Payroll included the proposed 3% cost-of-living increase and merit pay increases. Heath insurance is expected to increase 5%, with the city paying 100% of single coverage and 75% of dependent health insurance coverage.
City Clerk Rita Lee said the proposed budget reflects expected increases in earned interest revenue, alcohol tax, sales tax and business license fees, but a decrease in lodging tax, gas tax and TVA in-lieu-of-tax revenue.
Garrison
