Brusly spending outpaces revenue

BRUSLY – The Town Council voted Monday to adopt the fiscal 2012-13 budgets for municipal and sewer operations with both expected to finish slightly in the red.

For the town’s operating budget, which begins on July 1, officials project $1.903 million in income, according to budget documents. Expenditures are estimated to be about $2 million.

Mayor Joey Normand said the state has agreed to help the town pay for a $3.3 million police station.

“Last budget year, the Legislature approved $100,000 for us to get the drawings done,” Normand said. “That will probably be done in November. We spoke to our delegates, and they somehow secured the rest of the money in House Bill 2.”

Normad said that through a cost sharing agreement over the next two years, the town is funding 25 percent of the total cost, while the state will cover the remaining 75 percent.

“At the end of this, we’ll have a new police station, a 13-year-old town hall and we’ll be in great shape equipment-wise,” Normand said. “So very large amounts of money shouldn’t have to be spent for a very long time.”

The adopted 2012-13 sewer system budget estimates an operating deficit of nearly $46,000, a trend Normand said needs to be addressed.

“We are projecting a deficit again this year, so we have to do something,” Normand told the council.

As with the city’s operating budget, the deficit will be covered through use of existing surplus funds, the mayor said.

Normand said that the town is looking into ways to address the operating deficits, including possibly refinancing bonds or even a sewer rate increase.

“It’s not set in stone that we’ll increase rates, but it’s something we need to look at,” Normand said. “I told the council that I would put together some numbers for them. If it’s necessary, I’ll recommend it. If it’s not, I won’t.”

Normand cited increased maintenance on the aging system and purchasing a department truck as pressing issues.