City Council to Consider Two Budget Constraints Thursday

During Thursday’s Arnold City Council planning work session at City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd., council members will consider two resolutions meant to limit spending and create a contingency fund for the city.

Ward 2 Councilman Phil Amato, who proposed the resolutions in a memo, said his self-described conservative budget philosophy is a way to create a cost-effective government that returns money to Arnold residents.

The memo was attached to the amendments and posted on the City of Arnold website.

In the first amendment, Amato proposes limiting city staff salaries, wages and fringes to 60 percent of the annual budget by the 2013 fiscal year.

The memo states that salaries, wages and fringes are the largest part of Arnold’s annual budget, and fringes, such as health insurance costs, increase faster than inflation.

“To avoid laying off personnel, it is the intent of the City Council to reduce the personnel costs through attrition and other cost saving methods whenever possible,” the document states.

The higher personnel costs reduce the monies needed to repair city streets, infrastructure and replace outdated equipment, the document stated.

Numerous residents have complained about the condition of city streets to Arnold’s officials, Amato said in the memo.

Amato’s second amendment asks council members to consider creating a fund to finance emergencies and replace failed equipment. Amato recommends the fund be 20 percent of the projected revenues in a budget year.

A majority of the council members and the mayor must approve any money spent from the proposed contingency fund, the memo states.

The city council planning session is scheduled for 6 p.m. due to various issues the members must discuss, Mayor Ron Counts said.