KINGWOOD — Kingwood included adding a fourth police officer, a new street sweeper, employee raises and help funding a splash pad at the pool in its 2020-21 budget.
Council worked on the $2,940,415 budget last week at a special session held inside the Craig Civic Center, with everyone six feet apart. Council approved the budget unanimously, with Councilmen Josh Field and Mike Lipscomb absent.
Among the items included in the tentative budget are:
-A fourth police officer and a cruiser. The cruiser will replace one that has several issues. Mayor Jean Guillot set forth a plan in February that calls on bringing the force up to five full-time officers and one part-time officer over the next two fiscal years.
-$50,000 toward a splash pad at the Kingwood Pool. The Pool Committee has applied for grants for five years to add the kid-friendly feature, without being funded. Council hopes adding a donation from the city will improve its chances of receiving grants.
-A 3% cost of living increase for all employees, effective July 1.
-A new street sweeper. In February, council agreed to use funds from the new municipal sales tax to buy the sweeper, financing the $149,708 piece of equipment over two years. The city’s current sweeper is 19 years old and failing.
-A new truck for the city supervisor. The one in use now is rusting badly.
-New computers, some office furniture and paint for city offices. Most of the current computers use Windows 8.
-Replacing some street lights with LED lights and completing the final phase of replacing street signs.
The new budget is expected to be higher than the current budget, which was projected to be $2,621,044. However, wine and liquor taxes have come in $17,453 over what was expected this year. And so far $155,320 has been received from the new 1% municipal sales tax, where none was budgeted.
Council has already voted to use part of the sales tax for the street sweeper. And, Councilwoman Michelle Whetsell said, $25,000 will be added to the contingency fund.
That brings the current year’s budget so far to about $2,772,364. Whetsell pointed out, that’s still less than the 2018-19 budget of $2,809,646.
Two more checks are due from the sales tax this fiscal year. “I’d say that the next quarter we’re going to get maybe more than projected just because everybody has been out and spending so much,” Whetsell said. “But then that last quarter, if this continues any longer, that’s going to have a huge impact.”
Council projected revenue from the sales tax in the new fiscal year will be $225,000.
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