Town tries to unravel tangled finances

Monday, August 20, 2007
The Russellville water tower, one of the few three-legged water towers still in use, has a pinhole-sized leak that will cost about $13,900 to repair.

In an attempt to straighten out Russellville's budget, the town council voted Monday night to start the process of passing its 2008 budget with only estimated figures for three key items.

The council decided to move forward with the proposed budget despite the fact that Clerk-Treasurer Janet Kay Smith had not provided the council with figures for the 2008 local road and street fund, motor vehicle highway fund and cumulative capital improvement fund, said council president Sally McAfee.

Council member Don Reddish and McAfee (council member Jim Rodgers was absent) prodded Smith to set up a meeting with Indiana Department of Local Government Finance regional director Ron Stinson to help get the town's finances in order.

The $86,000 budget includes a $1,500 line item to replace the community center's boiler. The boiler broke in January, and the money to replace it was not included in the 2007 budget.

The town is also no longer reimbursing employees for mileage. The money for that budget item was used to pay the increased cost of insurance for the town.

The council also voted to hire an Avon, Ind.-based firm to repair a leak in the town's 52-year-old water tower. The pinhole leak in a 92-foot section of pipe will cost about $13,900 to replace. Russellville's 50,000-gallon tower is one of the few three-legged water towers left standing in Midwest, Reddish said.

The first public hearing for the budget will be at its Sept. 12 regular meeting. The council has regular meetings on the second Wednesday of each month.

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