The city of Warrenton’s spending plan for the 2020-2021 year includes annual raises for city employees and over $500,000 for equipment and facility improvements. Warrenton’s Board of Aldermen approved the city’s annual budget June 16.

Warrenton’s budget for daily operations over the next 12 months is about $7.9 million, city finance officer Dana Belaska reported in a summary of the budget. Another $13 million is allocated for capital expenditures and debt repayment, much of which The Record detailed in its June 25 issue.

Salaries for city employees will rise about 3 percent on average this year, with a total payroll of $3.8 million, according to the budget document. Total payroll for the previous year was $3.4 million.

Payments for employee health insurance premiums are also going up by 5 percent, according to Belaska.

Two city departments had significant changes to their payroll budget. The grounds and maintenance department, which cares for city buildings and parks, is seeing a drop from $320,000 to $290,000 budgeted for employee payroll.

Meanwhile, the Warrenton Aquatic Center payroll is receiving a significant increase, from $227,000 to $352,000 for employee pay. This will be the first full budget cycle in which Warrenton staffs the Aquatic Center with its own employees, rather than paying an outside company.

The city ended its contract with private company Midwest Pool Management last year. Warrenton paid Midwest $362,000 in 2018-2019 to operate city pool facilities, and another $87,000 in the second half of 2019 before declining to renew its contract, according to budget documents.

More than $500,000 is budgeted for facility improvements and equipment purchases. A number of those projects are carried over from the previous budget after being postponed due to COVID-19, city officials said.

Continued infrastructure improvements in Warrenton’s downtown area have $35,000 budgeted to them, while a project to convert the city pavilion on Walton Street into municipal court chambers will receive $59,000.

Replacement of three police department vehicles will cost $118,000, and new radios for the department will cost another $24,000.

Equipment and improvements for the Aquatic Center and surrounding park, including a new electronic sign, are budgeted at almost $38,000.

About $219,000 is budgeted for large vehicles serving Warrenton’s water and sewer utilities, with another $50,000 dedicated to system upgrades and equipment.

About $85,000 this year is budgeted to the annual Warrenton Fall Festival. The event is paid by a tourism fund collected from local hotels and motels.

Revenue

Warrenton is starting this fiscal year with $14 million in the bank, much of that earmarked for major public works projects, according to the city’s 2020-2021 budget document.

Adding to that, the city expects to receive $4.1 million from water and sewer fees that include a 4-percent rate increase. The rate increase was approved when aldermen passed this year’s budget.

Warrenton’s sales tax revenue is predicted to be $4.7 million, a growth of 2.6 percent this year with the addition of Rural King and continued new housing construction, according Belaska. Property tax revenues are estimated at $466,000, which is also a slight increase from the prior year.

The city also expects to receive $6.1 million in loan proceeds, with $5.6 million of that going to water and sewer infrastructure projects.