Council sets tentative date for budget approval

A tentative date has been scheduled for the Jefferson City Council to wrap up budget discussions.

At the Budget Committee meeting Thursday, committee chair and 2nd Ward Councilman Shawn Schulte said he expects the committee to be ready to vote on the proposed 2014 budget on Aug. 26. The council then would vote on a bill adopting the budget in September.

The council has been in budget discussions since mid-July, but has made almost no changes to the mayor's proposed budget so far. On Thursday, the committee continued to go through the budgets of each city department, listening to presentations from the Fire Department, Planning and Protective Services, and the Finance Department, among others.

The council will have a public hearing Monday on the proposed budget and Schulte has opted to cancel the next scheduled budget meeting, which would have been held Aug. 22, to allow council members time to evaluate any input received from the public before delving back into what he hopes to be the final discussion Aug. 26.

Schulte noted the council always can take more time with the budget discussions, if needed.

Only the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department has yet to give a presentation to the committee and that is expected to be done Aug. 26.