Second reading of an ordinance and corresponding vote regarding city of Mexico's proposed fiscal 2008-2009 operating and capital budget tops the Mexico City Council agenda tonight, with the regularly-scheduled bi-weekly meeting slated to convene at 7 o'clock in its chambers on the third floor of city hall. Tonight's vote follows a public hearing, budget review, and preliminary city council approval earlier this month.

Specifically, the budget outlays expenditures and funding for the community from Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2009. According to previously-stated projections by City Manager Todd Thompson, total budgeted expenditures for the city are $13,915,502, with revenues forecast at $12,407,737. Thompson added that the $1,507,765 difference represents "the amount of unreserved fund balance and project reserves budgeted." Likewise, he indicated that unreserved fund balance has only been budgeted to fund non-recurring items, with one-time capital outlay expenditures totaling $2,366,570. Adequate reserved fund balance is forecast in the operating fund budget following expenditure of unreserved fund balance.

During the public hearing, the city manager detailed certain specific details of the proposed budget. "With respect to strategic goals, in the wastewater area, sewer plant improvements are included," stated Thompson. "And there are two significant ones. The first is to construct a (wastewater treatment plant) course bar screen, and the budget for that project is $396,000." Similarly, he said "it also includes $232,000 for a dredge equalization basin," adding it will help facilitate more effective operation of the facility.

Also noted by Thompson was $434,000 for terminal building construction at the Mexico Memorial Airport-Hagan Brothers Field. Other items proposed in the budget include computer network upgrade ($18,235); in-code financial/utility billing human resources software ($61,167); three public safety patrol vehicles ($55,000); in-car video/camera equipment ($44,000); track loader for use by the street department ($55,000); asphalt overlay program allocation ($250,000); pavement and curb replacement allocation ($62,000); and drainage improvement allocation ($55,000).

A copy of the proposed budget is available at city hall for residents to review, further detailing proposed budget expenditures.
Meantime, a second item on tonight's city council agenda concerns a resolution regarding salary schedules for city of Mexico employees. At city council's previous meeting, Victoria McGrath of the McGrath Consulting Group presented findings from a recently-conducted comprehensive wage and benefit study of city employees. Utilizing those findings, the resultant resolution details proposed salary schedules for general, public safety and exempt employees, "designed to position the city to attract and retain qualified employees," according to Thompson.

Also tonight, city council will consider the following:
• An ordinance authorizing an amendment to the code of the city of Mexico. If approved, the subsection amendment would permit 100 percent real property tax abatement for a term of 20 years on real estate improvements involving Brownfield Redevelopment tax credits issued by the state's Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Economic Develop-ment, specifically when 50 or more new jobs are created. Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Director Russell Runge noted city staff is presently working on an economic project involving the former A.P. Green Refractories facility, and the amendment will assist the city in providing additional economic incentives.

• Appointments to the community's Tax Increment Financing Commis-sion.
City council meetings are conducted the second and fourth Monday of each month, with the public invited to attend.