By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou’s 2014 expense budget and capital expense budget were approved on Monday night at $9,143,301.
City Manager Austin Bleess explained to the Caribou City Councilors during their meeting on Dec. 9 that the budget reflects a 5 percent increase from the 2013 budget.
“Comparing the December 3 budget proposal to the original October 15 Budget Proposal, we are $603,908 lower today than we were in October,” Bleess said. “The goal council set for us was to lower the October budget request by $568,753; we have exceeded that goal by $37,155.” The council passed the budget at its proposed $9,143,301 amount, though Chairperson of the Library Board Jan Murchison reiterated a request for $4,000 for the library to add part-time substitute staff.
“As you are aware, during the past two years, the library has experienced a loss of nearly 80 staff hours due to budget cuts,” Murchison said in a letter submitted to the councilors, which cited that for safety reasons, the library need a minimum of two staff workers at all times, and a third person to cover lunches and suppers. Murchison’s letter also stated that proposed 2014 library budget is an approximate 6 percent decrease from 2013, and the approved 2013 budget represented a loss of more than $52,000 (18 percent) from the previous year.
“Please note that even with the $4,000 increase to the library’s budget, the proposed revised budget total still represents an approximate 4 percent decrease form 2013,” Murchison concluded.
The council did not approve the library’s request for $4,000 to hire part-time substitute staff when the passed the budget in a vote of 5-1.
Bless explained to the council that the 2014 expense and capital expense budget reflects a loss of one position in Public Works, which translates to a reduction in service of sidewalk plowing during storms and how some parking lots will be plowed.
“The swimming pool will be closed for 2014, with the money that would have been spent on operations going into the reserve account to fix up the pool,” he described, mentioning that the city “will be making better use of the TIF District than the City has before by moving some economic development expenses from the General Fund to the TIF District.”
Bleess also said that the budget reflect the hiring of three new people in the Fire/Ambulance Department, which he said would most likely be offset by new revenues that will be generated by the increased capability for transfer calls.
Additional information about Monday night’s meeting will be available in next week’s issue of the Aroostook Republican.
The next meeting of the Caribou City Council will take place on Monday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Councilors Chambers.
