Chester 2013 budget review

Thanks to the great John Kopp of the Daily Times, we have details of the city’s 2013 budget.

As you’re now accustomed, I offer these responses to my favorite quotes from the article. 

In late November, Nichols had projected the city would conclude the year with a deficit...Nichols estimated the (2012) surplus would be $90,000...“Santa came early this year.” 

And people try to make you believe there is no Santa.

Mayor John Linder said there is a possibility that the city could reopen the budget in the new year...

I think he’s prepping us for more number crunching.

Nichols said the bottom line typically increases by about $1.5 million to $2 million each year. It jumped nearly $4 million this year, he said, because the city anticipates receiving $1.93 million in additional revenue...

Santa must have left some additional goodies to be opened later. 

Nichols said the expenses in the final budget differed slightly from the preliminary budget passed earlier this month. The differences reflected updated insurance premiums, personnel increases and a $225,000 decrease in funding for the Chester Economic Development Authority. The preliminary budget had allocated $425,000 to CEDA. “We’re just working hard and diligently together to see what was a need and what was a want.”

Insurance costs must have gone up in the last couple weeks; we hired new people in the last couple weeks; and those economic development folks can make it on half a budget. We want economic development, but we don’t need it. 

(The 2013) spending plan that holds the line on all city taxes. 

The bottom line is that my tax bottom line stays the same. We've got to have one of the longest 'no tax hike' streaks in the county. Maybe the country. Please keep Santa around.