SCOTT CITY SETS BUDGET AT ABOUT $1.4 MILLION

Scott City -- The finance committee for the Scott City Council placed the last pieces of the city's 1996-97 budget Thursday night by setting the new public works director's salary and finalizing the department's working budgets.

Finance committee member John Rodgers, who has been nominated by the city council to be the new public works director when Harold Uelsmann leaves the position, did not attend this committee meeting. He has told the board he is waiting to see what salary the city is prepared to offer him before he decides if he will accept the position.

The remaining finance committee members, Brenda Moyers, J.T. Gulley, Marsha Zimmerman, Cindy Williams and Mayor Jerry Cummins, decided to set the salary at the base advertised amount of $22,445, with benefits raising that amount to $27,199. The new public works director will have to intern under Uelsmann for the first six months of the fiscal year, and the salary reflects his position as an intern.

Because Uelsmann is retiring half way through the fiscal year, he will collect $19,583 of his $33,552 salary this year.

The public works department's operating budget for 1996-97 was established at $777,739, representing the second highest budget in the city's government.

If the finance committee's recommendation is accepted Monday night by the city council, the 1996-97 budget for Scott City will be about $1.4 million but will be operating at a deficit of about $109,470.

The Scott City Police Department's working budget has been set by the committee at $378,806, with $319,456 of that going to salaries. The police department will add four officers next month, with two officers returning from leave and two new officers being hired. A matter of discussion at the finance committee meeting was buying another car, giving the police department four working vehicles. Financing a vehicle, at about $22,000, added another $4,400 to this year's budget, and it will be up to the city council to decide if the department will get the vehicle.

The city council will hold a public hearing at 7:45 Monday evening, just prior to its regular council meeting, to discuss the budget. A budget has to be approved at this meeting for it to go into effect by the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1.