Budget sail through

There’s a reason Walhalla devotes no more than five minutes to its annual budget hearings. Rarely, if ever, does someone from the public turn out to say something. Four reporters made for last night’s audience, as the hearing preceded city council’s approval of three new budgets to chart Walhalla finances the next 12 months. The budgets sailed through with one exception. On the vote to approve the general budget, Mayor Pro-tem Tjay Bagwell voted no. He earlier had campaigned to raise property taxes to help pay for city improvements. The general budget for 2013-14 totals $3.5 million. It includes a half million dollars of state highway money to re-pave Main Street, as part of the city project streetscape.