Town to approve budget

RANGELY I The town of Rangely will approve the 2012 budget Dec. 13, 2011, at 7 p.m. This year some of the budget highlights include major infrastructure improvements beginning at the water treatment plant and the waste water treatment plant. Depending on completed engineering reports and state and federal agency approvals the town will look to complete $1.8 million in improvements to these plants.
The overall objective of the 2012 budget will be to provide quality services with no increased cost estimates with regard to utility rates for gas, water and sewer. The town plans to complete projects, such as a raw water flow study to determine the best scenario for using raw water for irrigation throughout the town.
The master plan for trails design in 2011 is complete and the town hopes to again receive a grant through Colorado State Trails to defray costs of connecting bike and pedestrian trails through the center of town.
Shop and Dine Rangely has been increasingly successful and the town looks to continue budgeting for the program in November of 2012.
“Our programs are geared to support expansion of new businesses and we work hard to facilitate and bring entrepreneurial endeavors into our community. A lot of this is accomplished by maintaining an economical fee structure for taps, capital investment and building review costs. The town also works hard to keep our utility costs at a minimum and yet deliver the highest quality services available.”
For 2012, the operating budget for all funds is $6,835,089 and capital improvement expense budgets for all funds is $3,188,400 with two key projects accounting for nearly $1.8 million of this total. Anticipated revenues for all funds is projected at $9,107,536. Also included is $160,000 in grant funding for the trails construction through mid-town connecting the high school, hospital, recreation center, Elks Park and the elementary school. Another project required by the FCC and costing approximately $90,000 is for narrow banding first responder radios and dispatch as a regulatory requirement to be met by 2013.
Staff salaries have been frozen in 2010 and 2011. The CPI Index for Colorado indicates growth for 2010 and the first half of 2011 at 5.698 percent. Rangely town staff has recommended a 3 percent across the board salary increase for all employees to help offset some of the increased cost of living expense and have factored this into our budget for 2012. The town has also benefited from maintaining health benefit costs at or near 2009 levels for the past two years and will continue to modify the plan to keep benefit costs at or lower than 2011 benefit cost levels.
It is also the objective of council and staff to contribute to the economic stability and growth of the community by having the town’s properties and services reflect the care and concern they have for citizens and businesses.
“As we look to 2012 we anticipate another financially challenging year for the national, state and local economy and so our budget will reflect caution and frugality at all levels.”