The budget was unanimously accepted after a second reading. The first reading was held at last month’s meeting.
“It’s a hard job to do because under Kentucky law, you’re supposed to have a balanced budget,” mayor Jim Wilkerson said. “Our number match up, and I hope they look even better in the future.”
The council spent considerable time discussing the employees’ health insurance, which will be going up over $62 per month, per employee next month. That will cost the city approximately $3,000 extra over the course of the next year.
Last year, the town’s employees took a reduction in benefits, which saved the city some money, in exchange for a small raise in salary.
City clerk Sharon Head said that if they took another decrease in benefits, it would severely diminish the employees’ health benefits.
City councilman Tracy Gunderson said he didn’t think the city employees should have their benefits cut, but thinks the council should start looking at other insurance companies that may save the city money.
The council voted to go ahead and stay with the current plan, which is from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, but to begin looking for other alternative plans.
Other news from Monday’s meeting included:
• Naming Brent Holman to the town’s Cemetery Committee.
• Announcing that Scott Waste would be increasing its fuel surcharge, which will raise citizen’s garbage bills from $11.46 to $11.57.
• Wilkerson announced that there was “strong interest” in someone opening up another grocery store in town. “We hope it will happen sooner, rather than later,” Wilkerson said, adding that he also hopes any new store will include a butcher, because that is what the town’s citizenry wants most in a grocery.
• The council passed a resolution that will allow the fire department to apply for a Homeland Security grant which would pay for new pagers and radios.
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