Westminster budget saved at the (near) final bell

Westminster will operate the next 12 months with four fewer police officers and two fewer fire fighters.  They are among what the city administrator, Chris Carter, concedes some of the draconian measures taken to adopt the city’s new budgets that kick in once the current government year expires after Friday. The city council in a 6 to 1 vote last night approved City Administrator Chris Carter’s budget cuts that affect many city services—such as utilities, public safety, and recreation.  Councilman Yousef Mefleh is pleased because the council resisted calls to completely disband its fire department and turn to the county for protection.  Mefleh told 101.7/WGOG NEWS after last night’s meeting, “I’m happy.”  Besides job cuts in the police and fire departments, recreation funds are being cut and one of the casualties may be the soccer program.  The council increased its transfer from the utilities department and committed to implementing as much as a 9.5% water rate increase on the bills of out of town customers.  According to city administrator Carter, the task for his city was to cut $275 thousand dollars in spending from the general government side and $411 thousand from the utilities department to balance expenses and revenues for 2017-18.  After saying that the council was going back on a pledge to lower utility rates, Mayor Brian Ramey cast the one no vote.  The mayor also expressed concern that cuts to recreation could backfire if a child switch to a program in another city and took a sponsor with him.