Metro Budget Presented to Council

Metro Council members got thier first peek at Mayor Bill Purcell’s 1-point-5 billion dollar budget this morning.

While all departments had to present hypothetical budgets of ten-percent cuts, reductions weren’t made across the board.

Metro Water Services were projecting a 22-percent rate increase this year to fund the current level of services, but Purcell told the department to cut thier budget instead. Cuts include fewer contractors, a 12-and-a-half million dollars reduction in capitol spending, and reading meters only quarterly.

That worries many councilmembers, including Randy Foster.

“Looking at people’s water meters once every three months, and yet we’ll only give a one-month adjustment for a leak, it’s kind of hard to know you have a leak, unless it’s coming up through the floor until you get your bill.”Foster also says he’s worried that cutbacks in the number of contractors will mean slower response to the stormwater drainage problems that tend to occur in his suburban district.

Foster also says he’s worried that cutbacks in the number of contractors will mean slower response to the stormwater drainage problems that tend to occur in his suburban district.Council must pass a budget by June 30th.