SPANISH FORT, Ala. — City Council members received their first glimpse Friday at a preliminary $6 million budget for fiscal year 2011, the largest in city history and one indicative of the city’s sustained growth.

Mayor Joe Bonner stated repeatedly during the early morning work session that the draft budget was being presented in its roughest form and should be considered a fluid work in progress until all revenue for 2010 is collected.

Although projected revenue of about $5.48 million represents a modest 2 percent increase compared with 2010 projections,

the figure for the coming year is a very conservative estimate that holds projected general sales tax collections flat at only $3.5 million.

Also, the current budget projections are based only on figures collected through June 30, meaning they reflect estimated year-end collections based on only 75 percent of the 2010 fiscal year.

The city also anticipates a carryover of $1.5 million from the 2010 fiscal year which ends on Sept. 30.

Bonner said the carryover is added to projected revenue, and an immediate 10 percent is set aside in the city’s catastrophe fund to respond to potential disasters such as hurricanes.

Meanwhile, projected expenditures for 2011 total slightly more than $6 million, or 7 percent higher than those budgeted for 2010.

Bonner said the lion’s share of those increases address brick-and-mortar needs as well as salaries for required new positions such as the police department’s absorption of dispatcher duties that have to date been handled in partnership with the Daphne Police Department.

The preliminary budget also includes one-time $10,000 allocations to each of the city’s four feeder pattern schools to help offset the negative impact both a national recession and the oil spill have had on sales tax collections.

“(Baldwin County Schools) won’t capture the full strength of that (1 percent) tax increase in this first cycle, so we know they could use the funds,” Bonner said, noting the one-time allocations are in addition to the $12,000 the city already budgets for each school.

Although Bonner cautioned that any of the items included in the original draft version of the budget could be increased, decreased or eliminated completely before the final version is adopted, the following represent a few of the budget’s highlights:

*$14,000 for the third annual Delta Woods and Waters Expo.

*$10,000 for upgrades to the city’s official website.

*$460,000 for improvements at the city’s parks. and support of youth sports

*$130,000 for four police cars rotating out of use.