The Stansbury Service Agency board got its first look at a tentative 2016 budget during its meeting Wednesday night.
The $1.25 million budget would represent a $243,362 increase over the approved 2015 budget passed last December. The increased spending is offset with the collection of $26,362 more in property tax and a transfer from the fund reserve of $217,000.
Stansbury Park Service Agency manager Randall Jones said the budget will not represent a tax increase for residents.
One reason for the higher budget is a proposed eight-percent raise for all service agency employees, including part-time and seasonal employees. The overall amount spent on employee salaries, benefits, taxes and insurance will increase from $430,800 to $472,200.
Jones said salaries for employees of the service agency are low and has pushed for better pay to compete with other municipalities.
“Even then we’ll still be low but it’s what the budget could handle,” he said.
Due to the hire of a new office manager/district clerk, the total cost of full-time employee salaries would only rise $3,000 to $176,000.
Part-time and seasonal employee wages would jump up $50,000 to $145,000 for the hire of two additional employees. The increase would be partly offset by the service agency bringing the clubhouse management and scheduling in-house, as opposed to a $24,000 annual contract.
Water costs would also take a significant jump, up to $81,000 in 2016 from $35,000 in 2015. The service agency will be charged $.45 per 1,000 gallons next year, as opposed to $.15 per 1,000 gallons after the Stansbury Park Improvement District raised its rates.
The tentative 2016 budget also calls for significantly less spending from the capital improvements fund. In 2015, the service agency earmarked $860,000 for capital improvement projects while the tentative budget calls for only $209,000 as the service agency shifts its attention to maintenance, according to Jones.
Between the general and capital improvement funds, a total of $396,000 has been earmarked for maintenance projects in the 2016 tentative budget.
Some of the more significant maintenance projects, listed in a separate handout from the service agency, are the creation of two softball diamonds at Parkview Park for $60,000 and replacing the lining of a pond at the 10th fairway on the golf course for $60,000.
Other projects include replacing the roof at the pool complex buildings for $6,000, waterproofing the Stansbury Park Clubhouse basement for $25,000 and sealing cracks in the service agency parking lots for $20,000.
The service agency board approved the tentative budget by a 4-0 vote, with board members Jamie Lindsay and Gary Jensen absent. The board still has about a month to review the budget and make any changes before it approves a final budget on Dec. 9.