Silverhill passes budget, hopes to make up shortfall during year

By John Underwood independent@gulfcoastnewspapers.com
Posted 10/4/12

SILVERHILL, Alabama --- The Silverhill Town Council passed the annual budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year with numbers showing a slight shortfall.

Total revenues for the 2012-13 budget are estimated at just under $1 million, $987,241, while total …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Subscribe to continue reading. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Local reporters keeping you informed across the Alabama Gulf Coast.

You can cancel anytime.
 

Please log in to continue

Log in

Silverhill passes budget, hopes to make up shortfall during year

Posted

SILVERHILL, Alabama --- The Silverhill Town Council passed the annual budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year with numbers showing a slight shortfall.

Total revenues for the 2012-13 budget are estimated at just under $1 million, $987,241, while total expenses are estimated at slightly over $1 million, $1,017,380, leaving a shortfall of just over $30,000, or a total of $30,139.

Officials said plans are to make up the shortfall later in the year and the council will come back in six months to adjust the budget accordingly.

While the 2012-13 budget numbers are slightly higher than the budgeted amounts for the past year, actual numbers are coming in higher, according to the budget.

The budget for 2011-12 showed estimated revenues of $922,750, with expenses totaling $859,700 for a surplus of $63,050, but actual numbers figured from Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 7, 2012 show revenues of $1,116,594.24 with expenses of $1,183,372.63 or a deficit of $66,778.39.

Projected General Fund revenues showed a slight increase over the budgeted amount for 2011 with projected revenues of $258,575 for 2012-13. Revenues for 2011-12 were projected at $242,825, with actual revenues coming in at $351,264.10.

Tax revenues for 2012-13 are projected at $342,166, a slight decrease from projected revenues of $342,470 with actual tax revenues coming in at $268,115.47 as of Sept. 7.

Utility fund revenues are projected to increase from $301,400 in 2011-12 to $324,400 for 2012-13 with actual revenues as of Sept. 7 coming in at $281,609.22.

Other revenues, which include police, Heritage Day, library, parks and recreation and state gas tax income revenues are projected at $62,100 for 2012-13, with projected revenues of $36,055 budgeted for 2011. Actual revenues of $156,322.24 for the Silverhill Volunteer Fire Department and $1,527 in street income, were not reflected in the 2011-12 budget.

General government expenses are estimated at $366,150 for 2012-13. Expenses were estimated at $282,650 in the 2011-12 budget with actual expenses as of Sept. 7 at $379,143.27.

Utilities expenses for 2012-13 are projected at $347,800 with budget expenses in 2011-12 estimated at $305,050 and actual expenses as of Sept. 7 coming in at $348,663.31.

Other expenditures, which include police, municipal court, parks and recreation, state gas, library and sanitation/street department expenses, are estimated at $303,430 for 2012-13 with budgeted expenses of $270,000 for 2011-12 and actual expenses of $292,200.01.

The Silverhill Volunteer Fire Department does its own budget separately from the town, with revenues as of Sept. 7 at $156,322.24 and expenses of $163,365.91.  There was also $1,527 in street income not reflected in the 2011-12 budget. State gas expenses of $2,683.13 are not reflected in the 2011-12 budget, but are projected at $3,000 for 2012-13.

The 2012-13 budget passed unanimously with Council member Bert Jones not present at Monday’s Council meeting.

In other business Monday, the council:

  • Voted to send town clerk Patricia Bankester to a clerk’s conference Oct. 23-25 in Tuscaloosa at a cost of $245 plus hotel expenses.
  • Offered to send a council member to an orientation conference for CMO in Mobile Nov. 8.
  • Adopted Resolution No. 481 extending the 45 mile-per-hour speed limit on County Road 55 north from Woodpecker Road to North Boulevard and south from South Boulevard to Camelia Road to concur with a recommendation made by the Baldwin County Highway Department. The speed limit currently increases to 55 miles per hour at those two intersections.
  • Adopted Resolution No. 482 establishing a $150,000 commercial line of credit with Vision Bank of Robertsdale to complete the Silverhill Community Center.
  • Voted to write off bad debts for the town.