Butler City Council needs to approve a preliminary budget at their series of meetings this week and it will likely include more cuts to expenses, as well as an additional tax increase.
Butler City Mayor Tom Donaldson says a .75-mil increase in the street lighting tax is anticipated in order to deal with continually rising costs in the 2017 budget. That would allow the city to collect an additional estimated $45,000.
The mayor was one of those in attendance at a special city council budget meeting on Saturday.
“Most of these budgets are solved with numbers that we know aren’t real but by law you have to have a balanced budget,” Donaldson said in an interview. “Without being able to make the serious cuts that need made, it gets tougher and tougher.”
The city also anticipates eliminating money provided to help the Butler Downtown organization. Councilwoman Kathy Kline explains.
“Last year we did give Butler Downtown $10,000,” Councilwoman Kathy Kline said in an interview. “The $10,000 is just not there. We don’t have it to give.”
City Council will vote on the preliminary budget on Thursday, which can be adjusted slightly before finalizing the plan for 2017 in December.
Written By: Ryan Saeler
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