Aldermen move on 2017 budget

The Eunice city budget for the fiscal year beginning Friday is little changed from this year.
Steven Moosa, CPA, said, “Overall the budget has stayed flat for 2017 compared to 2016.”
Moosa, of Darnall, Sikes, Gardes & Frederick, said sales tax revenues and utility sales are expected to decrease from 3 to 4 percent in the 2017 budget year.
But there will be money for capital expenditures from the city’s sales revenues, he said during a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen Tuesday where the budget was approved.
After the meeting, Mayor Scott Fontenot noted the 2017 budget is his first as mayor.
“We are expecting revenues down so what we’ve been doing really since I’ve been acting mayor and as elected mayor is we’ve been watching our spending,” Fontenot said.
“I just knew that we were going to anticipate low sales tax revenue, so that’s how we’ve been operating,” he said.
The city has not cut back on services, he said, but is working to maintain the jobs of about 140 employees.
“The last thing we want to do is cut jobs,” he said.
“We’ve been running efficient. There is not a lot of room to cut,” he added.
The 2017 states general fund revenue at $3,285,060, down 8 percent from 2016. With transfers, the general fund budget is $7,234,560, down 7 percent from 2016.
General fund expenditures for 2017 total $7,234,560, down 2 percent from 2016.
The general fund ending balance is $1,077,305.
Alderman also voted to amend the city’s 2016 budget at Tuesday’s meeting.