Affordable Care Act Pushes Up Healthcare Costs In City’s Budget
Mayor Hart and budget.
Reporter
WATER VALLEY – Health insurance for city employees will cost $46,000 more for the next fiscal year under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“Our budget is pretty much the same as we’ve operated with this year,” Mayor Larry Hart said last Tuesday. “With the exception for next year we’ve experienced some tremendous increase in insurance as this new insurance program goes in around the United States of America.”
Hart explained to aldermen during their regular “first Tuesday” August meeting that the healthcare insurance premium for approximately 40 city employees went up on average more than $1000 each.
“I though it was supposed to be way down…supposed to be reduced when Obamacare went in,” commented Alderman Larry Bell.
“It hasn’t worked out that way yet,” Mayor Hart added.
The city “shopped” healthcare insurance among several other companies and found that the current provider, Blue Cross of Mississippi, was still the least expensive, according to the Mayor. He added that the city’s property insurance has also gone up around $13,000.
As the Mayor continued his presentation of the 2013-2014 city budget, he said that under revenue the sales tax had performed very well over the past year and he anticipated that to continue.
One of the numbers that went down, he said, was the city’s assessed valuation that resulted in a decrease of about $13,000 in tax revenue.
Total revenue for all sources will be $3,206,344 as compared to last year’s figure of $3,228,475.
Under expenditures, the Mayor explained that most of the sections reflect “an upward trend” because of the healthcare insurance costs coupled with the increase in property insurance costs.
Mayor Hart listed the department costs starting with general government expenses, the city’s administrative costs, which are expected to be $415,000. That’s up from $403,000 last year.
Other expenses are:
• Public safety (police, $815,000 and fire protection, $400,200) for a total of $1,215,200, up from $1,208,900 last year.
• Public works (streets) $677,600, up from $657,000.
• Health and sanitation (garbage) $295,000, up from $289,200.
• Parks and cemeteries $252,600, up from $185,200.
The total general fund expenditures are expected to be $2,855,400, up from $2,744,300 last year.
“That’s something we can manage and live with,” the Mayor said. “But, I don’t know where it is going to go in the future with this insurance situation.”
The millage rate will remain the same at 37 mills under the proposed budget, which aldermen voted to adopt. The legal notice of the public hearing for the proposed budget is below.
——————–
THE CITY OF WATER VALLEY HAS PREPARED ITS 2013-2014 PROPOSED BUDGET.
THE ANTICIPATED MILLAGE RATE WILL REMAIN THE SAME AT 37.00 MILLS.
ALL CONCERNED CITIZENS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE
PROPOSED 2013-2014 BUDGET TO BE HELD IN THE BOARD ROOM OF CITY HALL IN
THE CITY OF WATER VALLEY, MISSISSIPPI ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2013, 6:30 P.M.,
AT CITY HALL, 101 BLACKMUR DRIVE, WATER VALLEY, MISSISSIPPI.
A FINAL DECISION ON THE PROPOSED 2013-2014 BUDGET WILL BE MADE ON
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013, 9:00 A.M., AT CITY HALL, WATER VALLEY, MS.
MUNICIPAL BUDGET
PROPOSED BUDGET OF ESTIMATED REVENUES
AND EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR
ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
GENERAL FUND REVENUES BUDGET AMOUNTS
LICENSE AND PERMITS $12,000
FEDERAL PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAX $25,000
STATE SHARED REVENUE $480,000
GRANTS FROM LOCAL REVENUE $40,000
CHARGE FOR SERVICE $372,800
FRANCHISE $79,000
FINES AND FORFEITURES $95,000
OTHER REVENUES $966,000
TOTAL FROM ALL SOURCES OTHER THAN TAXATION $2,069,800
BALANCE AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $550,233
TOTAL REVENUES FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN TAXATION $2,620,033
AMOUNT TO BE RAISED BY TAX LEVY $636,311
TOTAL AVAILABLE CASH AND ANTICIPATED REVENUE
FROM ALL SOURCES $3,256,344
GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES
ADMINISTRATION $415,000
PUBLIC SAFETY $1,215,200
PUBLIC WORKS, STREET $677,600
HEALTH AND SANITATION $295,000
PARKS AND RECREATION $252,600
TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES $2,855,400
BALANCE AT END OF YEAR $400,944
TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES
AND YEAR END BALANCE $3,256,344
LIBRARY REVENUE
TRANSFER FROM OTHER FUNDS -0-
TRANSFER FROM GENERAL $22,589
INTEREST $200
TAX COLLECTIONS $47,611
BALANCE AT BEGINNING OF YEAR -0-
TOTAL REVENUE ALL SOURCES $70,400
LIBRARY EXPENDITURES
PERSONNEL SERVICES $70,400
SPECIAL FUND
REVENUE FROM ALL SOURCES $595,000
TOTAL EXPENDITURES AND YEAR END BALANCE $595,000
SPORTS COMPLEX
REVENUE FROM ALL SOURCES $28,194
TOTAL EXPENDITURES AND YEAR END BALANCE $28,194
ENTERPRISE FUND
WATER AND SEWER REVENUE
INTEREST $2,000
CHARGES FOR CURRENT SERVICE $852,000
BALANCE AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $144,294
TOTAL ALL SOURCES $998,294
EXPENDITURES
TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDS $896,700
BALANCE AT END OF YEAR $101,594
TOTAL EXPENDITURES AND YEAR END BALANCE $998,294
WATER AND SEWER OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REVENUES
TRANSFERS FROM REVENUE FUND $96,700
BALANCE AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $57,750
TOTAL FROM ALL SOURCES $954,450
EXPENDITURES
TOTAL EXPENDITURES AND YEAR END BALANCE $954,450
WATER AND SEWER CONSTRUCTION
REVENUES
BALANCE AT BEGINNING OF YEAR $218,432
INTEREST $1,800
TRANSFER FROM REVENUE FUND $18,000
TOTAL ALL SOURCES $238,232
EXPENDITURES
CAPITAL OUTLAY $238,232
TOTAL EXPENDITURES $238,232
