Doing business in the dark…

Doing business in the dark…

Lights out at City Hall

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion City council had to conduct city business in the dark last week after a wave of severe thunderstorms knocked out power to city hall and downed tree limbs and caused property damage throughout the city.

Officials made good use of the remaining daylight to go through the items on its agenda in a short 30 minute meeting.

In its report on the city’s finances, the council was informed that sales tax collections for Marion were off slightly for May, but that the city is still on target to meet its budget predictions.

City Treasurer David Rikard told the council that sales tax collections for the month were off by 1.5 percent compared to the same time last year, and down 4.5 percent for the month in the county.

“We are pretty close to budget,” Rikard said.

Rikard said actual revenues to the general fund are $148,000 above budget for the year, but the city is over-budget on expenses by about $89,000.

“That is spread across all departments,” Rikard said.

“But we are pretty close to our target for the year.”

In other business:

• Mayor Frank Fogleman informed the council that the city will see a 6.5 percent increase in its health insurance policy with Aetna for next year.

The good news, though, is that the increase is less than they had budgeted.

“They proposed a 10.1 percent increase but he (city’s insurance agent) was able to get the price down,” Fogleman said. “Personally, I think the 6.5 percent is a good increase. It is less than we anticipated and budgeted for. So it will translate into some savings of what we anticipated.”

On a related matter, Fogleman also said that the city had a request by an employee to add an extra coverage to its policy. However, the city’s insurance committee discussed it and decided against any changes.

“They did give us a quote on it,” Fogleman said. “But is the recommendation of the insurance committee that we not do it. We feel like it is not a good idea and that this is not a good direction to go in.”

• Fogleman told the city council to be prepared to discuss pay raises for city employees at the July council meeting.

“I’d like you to be mindful of that,” Fogleman said.

• Fogleman informed the council that they had rejected AT& T’s current offer to renew its contract for a cell phone antenna on the city’s Patriot water tower, and will try to re-negotiate better terms for the city.

“I’d like to see what or if they will improve the offer and see where it goes,” Fogleman said. “I’m going to at least attempt that.”

By Mark Randall