The Jefferson City Council is continuing its work on the 2016 draft budget with the next step to discuss any proposed changes to the mayor's draft.
At the Budget Committee meeting Thursday, council members finished going through overviews of each department. The next step, which will start Aug. 24, will be discussions about any further potential changes to the draft budget presented by Mayor Carrie Tergin.
Since late July, the council has met weekly to go through Tergin's draft budget, making minimal changes so far. On Thursday, council members heard overviews of the Planning and Protective Services Department, as well as the Public Works Department.
In the Planning and Protective Services Department, the only change made to the mayor's budget Thursday was adding funding for a pink sheet request for $2,500 to pay for advertising costs to promote planning events to the general public within the Metropolitan Planning Organization budget. However, Janice McMillan, planning and protective services director, said the city received federal and local grants that would cover the majority of that cost, making the city's actual contribution about $350.
Council members briefly discussed a request from the Public Works Department for an additional design engineer, which currently is unfunded in the draft budget. Public Works Director Matt Morasch said the engineering design division was cut by about 75 percent two years ago when the city was struggling to make up for a $1.68 million shortfall and it comes down to a level of service issue.
"We're slower to respond to various tasks," Morasch said. "I would like it to be better."
Also briefly discussed was the potential to increase transit fares. In June, the council opted not to approve a rate increase after many people testified against the proposal at a public hearing. The proposal would have increased regular transit fare from $1 to $1.50, the fare for HandiWheels from $2 to $3 and raised reduced fare, which is offered for those over the age of 60, people with disabilities and Medicare cardholders, from 50 cents to 75 cents.
Responding to a question from a council member, Morasch said if the council were to revisit the transit fare increase, it is unlikely all the necessary hearings could be held before the start of the new fiscal year on Nov. 1.
Third Ward Councilman Bob Scrivner said if the council were to revisit the issue, it would be because council members believed the fare increase only would generate $30,000 in new revenue, when that estimate actually was a conservative estimate for half the year. Morasch said a fare increase would be more likely to raise about $90,000 in new revenue throughout a full fiscal year.
No budget meetings will be held next week. The council will begin to discuss parking lot items, which are potential changes to the budget proposed by council members, at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at City Hall.