The Tooele City Council voted unanimously last week to approve a proposed $18.9 million budget for the 2016 fiscal year.
The unanimous vote came Wednesday evening after a brief public hearing failed to garner any additional public comment on the proposed budget, which Tooele City Mayor Patrick Dunlavy presented to the city council two weeks ago.
The approved budget represents a $800,000 increase over the $18.1 million budget for the 2015 fiscal year. According to Dunlavy, $280,000 of that increase can be attributed to a city-wide compensation overhaul that will end pay freezes and reinstate merit-based raises and 401K contributions for city employees.
The 2015 general fund budget also includes a $1.5 million increase in non-departmental expenses, which Tooele City Finance Director Glen Caldwell said will go to the Overlake settlement with Tooele Associates, as well as a $1.2 million decrease in funds dedicated to public improvements and road maintenance due to a decline in federal funding.
Most of the public improvements funds will come out of the Class “C” Road Program, which will decrease from a $3 million budget in 2015 to a $1.8 million budget for 2016.
The Class “C” Roads Program is primarily funded by federal grant money and fluctuates accordingly, Dunlavy said.
The city also anticipates a $200,000 increase in revenue from taxes, mostly from anticipated increases in sales tax. The city did not propose a property tax increase with the 2016 budget.
At the same meeting, the council also voted to approve a handful of adjustments to the 2015 budget, including the designation of $1.75 million as the first payment toward the settlement with Tooele Associates.