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Highlands Today

AP Council To Discuss Budget Concerns Saturday

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: February 5, 2009

AVON PARK - Facing state revenue cuts, the Avon Park City Council will meet for a budget workshop Saturday morning to consider ways to reduce spending and increase revenue.

The budget workshop will follow a special Community Redevelopment Agency meeting at 8 a.m.

The CRA board will review the plans for each of the city's three CRA areas - Main Street, Southside and Airport - to consider changes or budgetary amendments prior to the advisory committee meetings.

City Manager Sarah Adelt stressed that it is "new" for the city council to hold a budget workshop in February.

"We only usually meet once a year to do budget," she said Tuesday.

The city's fiscal year starts Oct. 1 so a big budget meeting is held in July.

This quarterly meeting is to see where the state revenues have dropped and to see where the city may be able to make up those losses, Adelt said.

The city has lost about $157,000 in revenue and is anticipating further cuts in March from the legislative session.

With a general fund of about $7 million, that's a significant cut, Adelt said.

Payroll is a large part of the budget, she said. The city is making up some of the lost revenue by not filling positions after retirements, resignations and terminations.

There are other cost saving measures the city could start doing now if approved by the city council, Adelt said. Other ideas could be implemented in March if funding is cut further.

The date of the workshop was pushed back so the city could consider the results of a utility rate study.

A preliminary draft of the study shows the city needs to increase its water and sewer rates, Adelt said. The council will be informed about the draft results so it can decide whether to take action.

Once informed about its revenue in March and what may need to be done before the next budget year, the city may consider user fees for all its recreational facilities, she said.

The city will also have to address the community center, which is operating at a loss, Adelt said.

"It was never purchased to make money, but it is certainly difficult in this economy to continue to lose money," she said.

The next regular CRA meeting will be held at 5 p.m., Feb. 23.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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