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(Photo illustration/Metro Creative)
PARKERSBURG — The city of Parkersburg’s Sanitation Fund is expected to have a deficit of nearly $160,000 next fiscal year, but the proposed budget does not include a garbage fee increase.
Parkersburg City Council last year approved Mayor Tom Joyce’s proposal to increase sanitation fees from $16 to $18 per month in the 2023-24 budget. This follows a $276,000 grant from the fund last year, which officials say was largely due to rising fuel prices.
No fee increases are proposed in this year’s budget, and the Legislature is expected to finalize them during Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 p.m.
The budget projects a $159,438 deficit in the Sanitation Fund, but approximately $1 million in fund balance reserves were built up through a series of budget amendments at the end of the previous fiscal year or generally when additional funds became available. This will be more than offset by the gold. Local government revenue forecasts have increased.
“This is the result of the city council spending money over the last year.” Finance Director Eric Giles said: “It’s almost like the Sanitation Fund’s own little rainy day fund or stabilization fund.”
Joyce said the sanitation fund is essentially receiving subsidies from the general fund rather than raising rates again.
“I support it as long as it does not interfere with general revenue.” He said.
Giles said it also helps that the city has no plans to buy new Packer trucks next year, and used federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase two.
Part of this deficit was due to a 4.2% increase in worker wages. Similar raises are proposed for all non-elected city employees except police officers, whose salaries would increase by $6,000 annually.
At the Department of Health, the wage and benefit increases total $74,328. Revenue is also expected to drop by $24,000, which Giles believes is the cause. “Appropriate sizing” Budget for the first year of rate increases and beyond.
Mr Giles said it was important to keep wages competitive to retain employees.
“The labor market remains tight.” Joyce said. “It’s a very labor-intensive job. It’s a hard job to fill. It’s an important and essential service.”
According to budget documents, the Department of Health is budgeted for 26 employees, not including supervisors, and there is one vacant position.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.
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