Most city workers would get 3 percent salary increases next year under a proposed city budget that will be reviewed with department heads starting today.
Columbus City councilmen are beginning two days of hearings on the 2019 city budget, receiving details about the proposed spending plan.
The proposed $61 million budget for next year compares to a $58.9 million city budget the council approved for 2018, said Jamie Brinegar, the city’s finance director. Budget materials from the city show the 2018 budget at slightly more than $60 million with less than half the year to go.
Budget hearings begin at 1 p.m. today and Thursday in the council chambers at Columbus City Hall, 123 Washington St.
Budgets for Columbus Police Department, Community Development, Columbus Fire Department, Engineering and Sanitation are scheduled for today, among others. Budgets for planning, Animal Care Services, Human Rights, redevelopment, and parks and recreation are set for Thursday, among others.
The biggest budget increase is expected in payroll, as the city begins to implement recommendations from this year’s salary study, Brinegar said.
Public safety employees are being brought up to the mid-point salary range of their positions within the next two years, and other employees are being brought up to that level within the next three years, he said.
The projected 3 percent increase for the city’s 450 employees is higher than what was budgeted for the past five years.
Payroll increases of 2 percent were budgeted in 2014-2016 and again in 2018. Raises of 1.5 percent were budgeted for 2017. However, raises are given at the discretion of city department heads to employees who are meeting expectations.
Some benefit changes and health insurance modifications are also being considered as part of the city’s benefit offerings for employees, he said.
In addition, the proposed budget includes $1.9 million in public safety capital projects. That includes replacing 14 city police department vehicles, completed annually on a planned cycle. Money to replace in-car cameras in police vehicles, in-car computers and radios is also included in the 2019 budget.
For the fire department, $65,000 is being requested for new firefighter bunker gear and $90,000 is proposed for equipment for the fire department’s new public training facility being completed on Columbus’ northside.
The city is proposing $4 million in street work, including street overlays, work on the Westenedge Drive improvement project and also work at Goeller Road and County Road 350W.
The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department has budgeted $500,000 in capital spending for 2019, including matching grant money for refurbishing of the Columbus Skate Park and People Trail maintenance.
Parks is also requesting $50,000 to replace the glass blocks and complete repairs on the Mill Race Park restrooms, which have been damaged by vandalism, Brinegar said. The structures and materials are 28 years old and replacement glass blocks to match those already on the structures are no longer available.
An estimated $185,000 is budgeted for continuing maintenance work at The Commons, with $35,000 of that going toward replacements of curtains on the upstairs stage.
Possible tax rates have not been forecast yet for the budget proposal, Brinegar said, but could be available in September.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Columbus City Council budget hearings
When: 1 p.m. today and Thursday
Where: Columbus City Hall council chambers, 123 Washington St.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
