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FAIRMONT -- Fairmont City Council members balked at a proposed double digit levy increase needed to cover the preliminary 2021 budget unveiled at a work session on Monday.
"Based on everything – the council priorities, the community priorities and the capital improvements – it's putting us at a preliminary levy of $5,915,980. That's puts us at roughly an 11.5 percent levy increase in 2021," Cathy Reynolds, city administrator, told the council.
The levy increase, which is $610,000 more than 2020, stems mostly from five items:
q Adding a community development director position, raising the levy 1.8 percent or $93,000 for salary and benefits.
q Adding a community services officer position and shifting the current animal control officer to a patrol officer, raising the levy 1.9 percent or $98,500.
q Contracting for human resources services, raising the levy by 0.9 percent or $50,000
q Health insurance premium increase of about 10 percent, raising the levy 3.4 percent or $180,000.
q Debt service on the new Public Works building, raising the levy by 3.3 percent or $175,000.
Reynolds said the budget is based on a zero salary increase for city employees. The city would cover the insurance premium increase so employees would not see a decrease in pay. Three union contracts are up for negotiations, and the city has offered an initial proposal of a one-year extension of the current contracts.
Reynolds explained the benefits of re-instating a community development director to the staff. Mike Humpal had filled that role during his tenure as city administrator. She currently is doing some of the work as is Linsey Preuss, Fairmont economic development coordinator.
Councilman Tom Hawkins commented that Mark Sievert, who recently served as interim administrator, told him that the city needed a community development director.
"This is way too much work for an administrator to do," he said, adding that the city is being shortchanged by not having someone in that position.
"Community development looks at the quality of life factors that existing and new businesses consider before deciding to invest capital or create jobs at a location. Basically, your community development sets the stage for your economic development," Reynolds said.
Council and community priorities, such as downtown revitalization and housing programs, would be handled by a community development director, which would streamline the economic development director's job of attracting new businesses and retaining and growing existing ones.
"They are really two sides of the coin," Reynolds said.
The other personnel changes, adding a community services officer and transitioning the animal control officer to a full-time patrol officer, would restructure some duties in the Fairmont Police Department.
The new community services officer would not be a licensed law enforcement position but would fall under the guidance of the Fairmont Police Department. The civilian position would handle animal control, code enforcement, nuisance complaints about junk or garbage and have pro-active conversations with citizens about possible code violations.
The current animal control officer position would become a full-time patrol officer, freeing up one of the existing officers to focus on victim-related crimes such as child abuse or domestic assault. The move also would reduce the amount of overtime pay the department expends every year to cover shifts open due to injuries or leave.
Hawkins suggested delaying work on the Public Works building, thereby cutting 3.3 percent off the levy increase.
"We could bring it back another year if we have to," he said. "I'm also very concerned about the cost, $9.5 million. People are pretty shocked that we're spending that for a building like that. I think there's a possibility that we might be able to shave several million dollars off of that."
Mayor Debbie Foster disagreed, reminding the council of OSHA's inspection of the building in 2015. The unscheduled OSHA check found numerous health and safety violations in the building, parts of which are more than 50 years old.
"I think the Public Utilities building is one of the most important," she said, suggesting that council members and interested citizens take a tour of the building to see its condition first-hand. "Before OSHA tells us we have to do it, we need to have that done on our own terms."
"I'm not against any of this, but I'm not going to be able to support an 11.5 percent levy increase at this time," said Councilman Bruce Peters. "We're going to have to trim something. We're going to have to, in my opinion, pick and chose somewhere because I just can't support that."
The council will continue its discussion on the budget and also discuss CARES funding the city received at another work session at 5 p.m. Monday in council chambers at City Hall.
The council is scheduled to vote on a preliminary budget on Sept. 28, with the final budget approved in December.