Palmer approves city budget for 2017

PALMER —The City of Palmer formally approved its budget for next year at its Dec. 13 meeting. It also approved the the capital improvement projects, fine schedule, fee schedule and benefits plan for employees for 2017. The city goes on a calendar, and not a fiscal, year for its budget. The new budget takes effect Jan. 1.

“In a climate of steadily rising costs and uncertain economic times, Palmer is in a unique situation where revenues are projected to increase,” city manager Nathan Wallace wrote in the budget document. However, the city still aims “to trim costs and to maintain City services at present levels with no reductions in service.”

Mayor Edna DeVries said that, after multiple meetings and three public hearings on the proposed budget, minor changes included paying this year instead of next for LED light installation, and the same for equipment for the maintenance crew.

The city of Palmer is currently undergoing a transition to LED lights in its street lamps, DeVries said. It has already installed some of the new lights, and originally intended to complete the transition in the next two years.

The council, however, voted to spend the extra $65,000 this year to get it all done in one fell swoop.

The energy-efficient lights have already benefited the city, DeVries said.

“That’s proving to be quite a cost savings to us energy-wise,” she said, “and less maintenance.”

Council member Brad Hanson had also moved to add $50,000 for street repairs, an amendment that was passed and approved.

Apart from that, DeVries said, the council did not add to the proposed budget.

Many of the approved increases or decreases within city departments are due to changing personnel or tasks from one department to another. Palmer will also see decreased costs in its expenditures on public safety dispatch due to no longer providing services to the entire Mat-Su Borough, and only providing services to within the city of Palmer.

Palmer is expected to see higher revenues over the next few years from new businesses going in, including the expanded Fred Meyer and two medical clinics.

The overall general fund operating budget has decreased for the third year in the row, and in stands at a little more than $11 million, nearly a quarter of a million less than last year.