City ready to put final touches on budget

City residents can have their say today at 7 p.m. on their council's 2008 budget.

That $10,270,407 budget holds the line on taxes and gives city employees a 2 percent cost-of-living raise.

The spending plan is about $500,000 less than last year's $10.8 million budget.

Gaffney Administrator James Taylor traces the budget decrease to a reduction in grants.

In May, proposed expenditures outpaced projected revenues by about $550,000 in the new budget.

But Taylor and the finance committee slashed budget requests to offset the deficit.

The budget contains some capital expenditures, including a $100,000 knuckle-boom truck for the public works department and hydraulic equipment for the maintenance shop.

Although it's not included in the budget, Taylor said special revenue likely will be used to purchase police cruisers.

Hard work by city employees resulted in an $80,000 reduction in the city's workman's compensation costs, Taylor said. That helped to offset a $100,000 increase in projected fuel costs.

Last year, council approved a $10,881,663 spending plan that included a 4-mill tax hike.

After the public hearing, council will have final reading on the budget, which goes into effect July 1.