It was a smooth process and one dealing with a relatively tight city budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year. Bridgeport City Council recently approved – by unanimous vote - the city’s operating budget in the amount of $15.3 million, up $700,000 from 2017-18.

 

The new budget will take effect July 1.

 

As its name implies, the budget encompasses all operating expenses of the city – from salaries and insurance costs to city hall utilities, traffic light maintenance and police uniform dry cleaning.

 

The budget is built by consulting with all city department heads who submit current and projected costs, as well as requests for equipment, etc. Those requests are prioritized and built into a balanced budget, offset by city revenues – everything from projected business and occupation, which at $5.9 million makes up a large portion – to building permits, levies and grants, city pool income and library fees, to name but a few revenue sources.

Implemented into the budget was an across-the-board 5.1 percent pay raise for city employees.

 

“All capital purchases that were not routine were placed on a list to be considered for funding through either one-time B&O or fund balance,” said Finance Director Monica Musgrave.

 

"By doing this, we were able to give all employees a 4.1% pay increase in addition to the normal ‘step’ that all qualified employees receive,” she said.  “We are not anticipating any big increases in revenues; therefore, we needed to continue to be conservative with our expenditures.”

 

Council also funded three new positions for fiscal year 2018-19.

 

“They funded an additional policeman, fireman and a rental building inspector for the new program being launched by the Code Enforcement Department,” Musgrave said.

 

Offset by a projected grant award, it was also projected that Bridgeport Police Department would hire a trio of new law enforcement officers; one each year for three years.

 

Bridgeport Police Chief John Walker said that’s not going to happen.

 

“From what I understand, that was dependent on a (government) grant which my research tells me no longer exists,” he said.