Thorsby passes $1.7 million budget

Published 4:23 pm Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Thorsby Town Council unanimously passed a $1.7 million budget late Monday night.

The 2010-2011 budget included across-the-board bonuses for town employees in the amount of 1.92 percent of 52 weeks of pay.

The town also plans to resurface the parking area in front of Mizzell’s Super Saver and adjacent businesses on both sides of the railroad track, as well as a portion of roadway in the coming fiscal year.

“We put enough in the budget to resurface 1 mile of road,” Mayor Dearl Hilyer said.

Less money was budgeted for renovations than originally planned, but Hilyer said a portion of court funds could be used to repair offices at City Hall. Other pieces of town property are also in need of upkeep, such as Helen Jenkins Chapel, and the town water tower needs a fresh coat of paint.

“There are too many needs with too little money,” Hilyer said in a phone interview Tuesday.

One need that cannot be ignored, he said, is the computer server at City Hall, which has been used for eight years — which means a new server is about three years overdue.

While the town is still paying off some older debt, Hilyer said there is no plan to borrow any money in the new fiscal year.

“We balanced our budget. We didn’t create any new debt for 2010, and there is no plan to create any (new) debt for 2011,” he said.

Also, monthly garbage rates are going up $1 per pickup for town customers.