Following a six-month financial review, a committee is prepared to recommend the Trenton City Council approve pay increases for city and utility workers, including those who work part-time.
When budgets were developed last spring before the city’s fiscal year began in May, no wage increase was authorized due to a projected $540,000 deficit, but the council then offered to consider, in November, a cost of living raise depending on how many tons of asphalt were sold this year by the city. The council then pledged to consider an increase of one $1.00 per hour for the employees. At the meeting Thursday night, the Trenton Finance Committee voted to submit that recommendation to the full Trenton City Council.
Updated figures provided by City Administrator Ron Urton show 39,000 tons of asphalt were sold this year. The department of transportation is the top customer but private contractors also made purchases. The city budget adopted six months ago had a conservative estimate that 12,000 tons would be sold at $70,00 per ton, generating income of $840,000. The price per ton can be adjusted monthly.
With higher prices to buy oil, Urton said the asphalt selling price per ton rose from $80 to $85. Since asphalt sales are significantly higher than predicted, finance committee members feel revenues are in “good shape” to enact the increase. A final decision is expected when the full city council meets on November 28th. Urton said the asphalt plant has not been shut down for the season as the city still has some street patching to do and the Missouri Department of Transportation may make additional purchases for their work when temperatures warm up.
According to Urton, the additional cost to the city is $96,600. The extra cost for Trenton Municipal Utilities is $78,200. The wage increase is $1.00 for hourly workers. For employees who are salaried, including the administrator, city clerk, and department heads, the increased cost is $2,080 each for the year.
The mid-year review indicated Trenton Street Department expenses are up due to additional purchases of rock, sand, and oil to meet the demand for asphalt. Inflationary increases were noted in some other categories.
Revenues are ahead of budgeted figures for interest received on investments as well as the local sales taxes and the use tax. Urton also described fuel sales are doing well at the airport and revenue was generated when surplus vehicles and equipment were sold on the Purple Wave website.
The finance committee also reviewed mid-year Trenton Municipal Utility figures. Urton described the electric and water departments as showing positive balances, but the sewer department is not up to the council-set minimum for reserve funds after a large debt payment that was recently made.
The committee is requesting more information before the city council decides on whether to make a financial commitment that might lead to an ARPA grant for 30 directional signs and other tourism-related projects. It was reported Monday night that
the minimum grant through the state is $250,000 with a $125,000 local match required. The Trenton Convention and Visitors Bureau has pledged $50,000 over two years, 2023 and 2024, for its portion of the local match, leaving $75,000 to be obligated from other sources.
Besides the city, the committee wants to know who other funding partners are, or will be, what happens if other funding partners back out on their pledge, what additional tourism-related projects are proposed, why the proposed directional signs cost $5,000 each based on the announced quote of $150,000 for the 30 signs and what will it cost for the Green Hills Regional Planning Commission staff to write the grant request on behalf of the city. The committee would like to have answers at the November 28th city council meeting.
It was previously reported that grant applications are due to the Department of Economic Development by mid-December. If the matching allocation is reached and the grant gets funded, there would be a total of $375,000 for tourism-related efforts.
Directional signs, known as way-finding signs, are intended to help visitors navigate to various landmarks and locations in Trenton. It was reported such signs are prominent in Chillicothe and Cameron.
Finance committee members attending the meeting were Council members John Dolan, Duane Urich, Lance Otto, and Dave Mlika. Also present was Councilman Glen Briggs, the Mayor, city administrator, city clerk, and department heads.
