Mancos trustees voted unanimously to approve the town’s 2017 budget at their meeting Wednesday.
The total capital and operational budget will be $2,685,026, up 7 percent from 2016. The operating budget is $1,766,847, while $918,179 is devoted to capital improvements.
In October, Town Administrator Andrea Phillips proposed a $2.9 million budget in a first draft, but trustees and staff members decided to make more cuts. Wednesday, board members said while the budget wasn’t perfect, they were satisfied.
“Thanks to the staff for the effort and energy they put behind this,” Trustee Ed Hallam said.
In the operating budget, $1.1 million is allocated to the general fund. About $357,000 is devoted to the water enterprise fund, $296,000 to the sewer enterprise fund and $10,000 to the conservation trust fund.
For the capital budget, about $252,000 is allocated to the general fund. The water enterprise fund is allocated $547,000 from the capital budget, and $120,000 for the sewer enterprise fund.
Money from the general fund, the water and sewer enterprise funds, the conservation trust fund and town reserves will be used to fund the town cash matches for grants that will fund the majority of the planned capital improvement projects.
Those include improvements to the town’s raw water system, replacement of an old water line on the south side of town, a pedestrian crossing at Beech Street and U.S. Highway 160, resurfacing of paved roads, equipment for the wastewater treatment plant and improvements to the water treatment plant. The town also will continue paying leases on two new vehicles for the marshal’s department and one new vehicle for the parks department.
A second phase of improvements to Cottonwood Park also is planned next year, and the majority of funds for that project is from a Great Outdoors Colorado grant.
The operating budget funds salaries for the town’s 13 full-time staff members, one part-time employee and two seasonal parks maintenance positions, which total about $913,000. Phillips had proposed a new full-time position, a special projects and planning coordinator, but that was cut from the final budget.
Also cut from the previous draft was saving for replacement of the Main Street bridge in town. About $200,000 in revenue spending was cut for the final budget.
Public safety accounts for $388,000, or 29 percent, of the general fund operating budget. Marshal Jason Spruell recently hired a fourth officer, Estevan Valles, and the office now is fully staffed. Administration is $360,000, or 26 percent, of operations, and the streets division accounts for $261,000, or 19 percent.
Public works is $171,000 (13 percent), parks department is $107,000 (8 percent), legislative is $55,000 (4 percent) and planning an zoning is $12,000 (1 percent).
