By Joe BarkerRecord Staff WriterThe city of Marthasville will tap reserve funds to balance its general fund budget for 2015-16.The Marthasville Board of Aldermen unanimously approved its budget for the new fiscal year at the June 17 meeting. The approved budget will predicts the city will have more expenses than income in the general fund.A previous version of this article contained inaccurate information. The budget information for the fiscal year 2014-15 was misinterpreted. The article has been updated after all the budget data was clarified.Estimates have the city bringing in $319,604 of income against a predicted $337,450 of expenses. The city will dip into reserve funds to cover the $17,846 shortfall, leaving the ending general fund balance at an estimated $807,101.26. The city will start the new year with a beginning general fund balance of $824,947.26.The biggest estimated sources of income for Marthasville are utility license fees ($115,000), real estate and personal property tax ($98,000) and garbage payments/collection ($70,000).One area where the city didn’t estimate income is court fines. In 2014-15, the city estimated it would receive $6,000 in the final budget. Mayor David Lange said he advocated no estimates for court fines because he doesn’t like the message it sends. “I think it sets up a quota system,” he said.The biggest expense in the 2015-16 budget is an estimated $68,000 for garbage collection. Other top expenses are police department wages ($47,000), assistant city clerk salary ($26,000), city park maintenance and improvements ($15,000) and payroll tax ($14,000).Water, Sewer and StreetsThe city also will reduce its reserves to cover water, sewer and street budgets in the new year.In the water fund, the city estimates $159,500 in income and $299,350 in expenses, creating a deficit gap of $139,850. The city estimates it will end the year with $945,555.34 in the water fund. The fund will begin the year with a balance of $1,085,405.34, according to the new budget.The biggest expense in the water budget is $120,000 for waterline extensions and improvements. Other large expenses are $78,000 for equipment supplies and $27,000 for equipment purchases.The income is estimated to come from water payments ($98,000), local sales tax ($59,000) and bulk water sales ($2,500).The sewer budget also will dip into reserve funds. The budget estimates Marthasville bringing in $104,000 of revenue from sewer payments, but spending $163,900.The deficit of $59,900 will lower the year-end balance to $379,653.54. The starting balance is projected at $439,553.54.Like with the water budget, the biggest expenses are line extensions ($50,000) and equipment ($30,000).Marthasville’s street fund will have only $19,955.63 remaining after estimated expenses totaling $242,900. The city estimates an income of $102,000 from taxes leaving $140,900 to be made up from reserve funds.Street repairs and maintenance are the biggest expense with the city estimating it will spend $180,000 in the 2015-16 fiscal year.Lange said the sewer and road expense are actually two years ‘worth of expense. He said the previous administration budgeted for street and sewer work, but the money was never spent.One portion of the budget in the black is the capital improvement fund. The city estimates revenue of $59,000 against expenses of $50,000.The $9,000 surplus would bring the ending balance to $211,333.40.There were no comments on the budget during the public hearing.City of Marthasville