MUSCATINE, Iowa — After its first budget review session Saturday, the Muscatine City Council had only scratched the surface of reviewing the financial needs of the City.

Council members in the coming weeks will decide which budgets will be cut, increased or left alone for fiscal 2009-10 while keeping in mind the economic downturn that’s being felt everywhere.

“A lot of activity is going on and it could all change when the budget is adopted,” City Administrator A.J. Johnson said of work on the city budget.

The target General Fund balance for fiscal 2009-10, beginning July 1, is projected to be $1.5 million with a surplus of $32,892.

“Ideally there would be a surplus each year, and ideally that surplus would be larger, but given the current economy, we see this amount as a positive,” Johnson said.

The General Fund balance was estimated  prior to the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors approving a county-wide levy for MUSCOM, the city/county public safety joint dispatch center. The  levy will allow the city to use the money it had previously budgeted to go toward MUSCOM for General Fund-type expenses.

 This change will add $316,000 to the city’s General Fund but the money is being kept separate until the plan is formally adopted.

“Just because we have the extra $316,000 doesn’t mean that we should go spend it. We need to be fiscally responsible, especially this year,” said at-large Councilmember Osama Shihadeh.

Recommended cuts

- Due to fiscal restraints, the City is recommending a $30,000 cut to the Muscatine Art Center’s personnel budget.

“A $30,000 cut for us … obviously, will mean a reduction in staff, hours and services,” said Art Center director Barbara Christensen.

In addition to tax money, Friends of the Muscatine Art Center, The Muscatine Art Center Support Foundation, donations, grants and fundraisers support the Art Center operations.

The Art Center expects to spend $210,900 in personnel costs in 2009-10. 

- The Musser Public Library is looking at a $40,000 reduction from the $127,500 in capital funding it requested, to $87,500, if the Council approves the cut.

Library officials are hoping to reorganize, restructure and increase services. Since 2005 the number of patrons has decreased from 22,298 to about 17,000 in fiscal 2008-09 and director Pam Collins would like to add a variety of teen programs and upgrade the children’s section, among other things.

Collins said that during economic downturns the public utilizes the library more than ever and that the library provides a free entertainment and a place for kids to hang out when they don’t have other options. She has already seen an increase in the number of patrons over the past several months.

“Cuts to the library will affect those citizens who are already in need and have already lost so much,” Collins said.

Other items  discussed include:

- A proposed $10,000 reduction in the City’s Information Technology computer replacement reserve to $30,000.

- Possibly replacement of the city’s Finance Department computer hardware with an upgraded system at a cost of $32,000.

- The Muscatine Police Department requested $127,400 in capital funding and it’s being proposed that the Department receives $44,600.

Among budget items considered for approval are the purchase of two used vehicles for detectives ($12,000 from the Equipment Replacement Fund), one radar unit ($1,900), a copy machine ($12,600), and chemical munitions ($4,000).

Some things they may not receive include 11 new rifles ($14,000), an office chair for Chief Gary Coderoni ($500), two emergency light bars ($5,800), a laser trajectory finder kit ($500) and two mobile vision digital recorders ($10,000).

- The Council approved a new animal control truck ($19,500) and an animal transport unit ($12,900) for the Muscatine Animal Control Officer,  both funded from the Equipment Replacement Fund.

- The Muscatine Fire Department asked for $37,400 in capital funds and will likely be approved for $8,400.

Items approved in the Department’s budget include four sets of turn-out gear at $6,400 and a request to replace furniture for the Department’s living quarters. That request was reduced from $4,500 to $2,000. The budget denies the Department $12,000 for computers for fire engines and $14,500 for a hazard training house.

The Fire Department set a new record number of calls in 2008 at 3,650 calls. In 2007 there was a record 3,350 calls. 

- Reducing subsidy to the Humane Society from $40,000 to $35,000.

- Eliminating Muscatine Family Resources $17,000 subsidy. Other funding has been made available to Family Resources, according to Johnson. 

- A possible 10 percent salary increase for Johnson because his salary is currently under market value. His salary is currently $109,000 annually.