Westminster's City Council Introduces FY14 Budget

Westminster residents had the opportunity to share their thoughts on the city's proposed fiscal year 2014 budget with local leaders in a public hearing yesterday evening. Following the hearing, Westminster's city council voted 4-1 to introduce the budget.  

The budget beginning July 1 totals more than $33.22 million. The budget is an approximate 1.14 percent decrease from the current $33.60 million budget.

The budget includes a 1 cent reduction in the property tax rate, a 3 percent cost of living raise for city employees and no change in the water and sewer rates. 

Councilman Paul Whitson voted against the budget according to a Carroll County Times article, because he is concerned about the recurring cost of salary increases. 

In 2010 the council made an unpopular decision to increase the property tax rate by 14 cents (from $.44/$100 of assessed value to $.58/$100 of assessed value) in order to catch up on capital projects. It did so saying the expectation was that the rate would decrease when capital projects were up to date. The current year's budget includes a one-cent property tax reduction and there is another one-cent reduction in the FY2014 budget.

Capital improvement projects proposed for new budget include a broadband study ($50,000), furnaces for the police department ($40,000), new vehicles for the police department ($113,000) and equipment for the city skateboard park ($100,000).

The council is scheduled to vote to adopt the budget May 13. 

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