AUBURN — Lingering questions about future bond issues and capital improvements didn’t stop the City Council from wrapping up the 2012 budget and other financial details Monday night.
With Ward 4 Councilor Dan Herrick excused from Monday’s meeting, councilors tied twice on questions about the city’s fiscal year 2012 bond issue and the special revenue capital spending. With Councilors Belinda Gerry, Ray Berube and Mike Farrell voting to oppose the capital spending plans, Mayor Dick Gleason broke the tie and both items passed by a 4-3 vote.
“But, as I understand it, neither of these votes are terribly binding right now, one way or the other,” Gleason said.
City Manager Glenn Aho said councilors simply needed to move the plan forward, either approving the bond as its stands or turning it down. The 2012 municipal bonds are scheduled to be sold in October and Aho said councilors will see the items again before that happens.
“We will try to answer your questions by that time,” Aho said.
Farrell said his concern was with an additional $659,000 coming from the school department’s bond issue. Aho and city staff budgeted $1 million for the School Department, but the school’s documentation called for $1.66 million.
“I just want to know what that’s for,” Farrell said. “My question is, where is that coming from?”
The city’s October bond sale would amount to $5 million new borrowing — $1.66 million for the schools and $3.4 million for city projects and equipment. The city side of that would pay for Auburn’s share of a new terminal at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, road construction and paving projects, work on Auburn Hall and fire and public works equipment.
Aho said a plan to join Lewiston in paying for new flyover photography for the geographic information systems mapping was canceled. That amounted to $60,000. Instead, Aho recommended the city pay for $28,600 worth of work on the parking garage and purchase $33,000 in new computer servers and networking equipment. It was part of the bond package councilors approved.
Questions about the formal budget garnered the least discussion from councilors and the public Monday. Councilors voted 4-2 to adopt the $30.9 million of municipal budget, with Councilors Gerry and Berube opposing it.
As proposed, the budget calls for a $184,936 increase in the property tax levy and tax rate increase of 27 cents for every $1,000 of property value. It would increase a property tax bill for a $145,000 home by $39.15.
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