A second budget workshop needed

Westminster City Council will need a second budget workshop before they can balance spending and revenue projected for the new government year.  The draft budget, presented this afternoon by the city administrator, contains $190 thousand dollars in expenses over revenue.  And the mayor and council talked about a variety of ways to eliminate the deficit.  Those ways include deleting a pair of new city trucks and eliminating a cost of living raise for all city employees and replacing it with merit raises for those employees deemed worthy of them.  Mayor Brian Ramey said he would anticipate criticism if spending money to re-open the swimming pool is perceived as denying pay raises to city workers.  One possibility, for which no clear agreement was reached, is whether to cut out a five percent reduction from the bills of selected electric retail customers who qualify for the city’s new “Good Neighbor” conservation program. After hearing that Administrator Jeff Lord proposes no property tax increase, Councilman Bill Brockington said he doesn’t think city government can afford to cut electric power to a segment of its customers.