Town Council preparing for 2007 budget adoption

It has been pre-adopted by unanimous vote, but on Sept. 12, the Cloverdale Town Council will move to adopt its 2007 budget.

A public hearing took place last month, with council person John Davis giving the motion to accept the 2007 budget. Board member Judy Whitaker seconded the motion and the budget was approved by a 5-0 vote.

The budget -- estimated at $783,745 -- calls for money to be divided into seven categories, including:

-- $82,000 for cumulative capital development fund;

-- $21,963 for the rainy day fun;

-- $450,500 for the general fund;

-- $12,415 for the cumulative capital improvement fund;

-- $13,489 for a local road and street fund; and

-- $2,082 for continued law enforcement education.

The budget calls for a total of $256,437 to be raised through property taxes, which includes an estimated maximum levy of $241,907 for the general operating fund.

The budget estimates were based on a net assessed value of $78,439,300 for the town.

Following the board's Sept. 12 meeting, the 2007 town budget will be subject to review by the State Board of Tax Commissioners. Town Clerk/Treasurer Patti Truax will send the budget to the county and then it will be sent to the state for review.

Unlike the 2006 budget, the 2007 numbers do take into account money for new police vehicles or maintenance on the current vehicles, pending budget approval on Sept. 12. In 2006, the town council voted down a measure to include money for police vehicles.

"Any new vehicle is better," CPD Chief Charlie Hallam told the BannerGraphic. "We won't have to worry about something else going on.

"We will be able to save a lot on the budget with new cars. We won't have to be nickel and diming."

Hallam said officials from the department recently test-drove Dodge Chargers in Louisville.

"That's probably our top priority," Hallam said of the possible purchase of Dodge Chargers for the department.

He said the department is currently waiting on bids for vehicles and it hopes to purchase new vehicles by January 2007, pending budget approval.

"It looks like everything is in place," Hallam said.