Budget squeezed by efforts to remain clean and green

Jeffrey Libby

Tuesday, May 21, 2002 | 9:14 a.m.

The enthusiastic greening of Boulder City is unique in the state, Mayor Bob Ferraro says.

Two Sundays ago at Veterans Memorial Park, for instance, volunteers arrived for a daylong event and planted 2,800 shrubs in a half-hour.

But the greening campaign, which began in earnest in 1999, next year will require $803,343, the largest percentage increase for any city department at 58 percent.

The Boulder City Council approved the increase today as part of a $49.2 million budget for fiscal year 2002-2003, which begins July 1.

"The landscaping is an important function out here," city finance director Bob Kenney said. "That's Boulder City. Recreation. Clean, green Boulder City."

Still, Kenney said, both the city manager's office and the Public Works Department have asked for a study to assess future costs of maintaining the acres of park and greenway space currently under construction throughout the city.

As landscaping costs have climbed, so too have city revenues.

Water and electric rates, for instance -- two utilities controlled by the city -- go up as of July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

The monthly electric bill for average consumption in a 2,000-square foot home will rise from $77 to $90. Water will rise from an average of $35 to $41.

The city increased rates, Kenney said, to make up for $1 million in losses sustained last year during a regional spike in energy costs and expected increased costs of providing water. Even with the increases for electricity, Kenney said, Boulder City residents will still pay slightly more than half the rates paid by customers of Nevada Power.

The annual property tax rate that goes to the city will remain at 20.38 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, or $71.33 for a $100,000 home. Property taxes also support schools, libraries and other services.

City spending, though down from last year's budget of $85.1 million, is still up 42 percent from two years ago, when the city spent just $34.7 million to deliver services and capital improvements.

Debt service for two projects approved last year -- a $34 million water line and an $18 million municipal golf course -- contributed increases of $1.5 million and $3.1 million respectively. The city will spend another $4.8 million on construction costs for the golf course.

Another $3 million will go toward completing a two-year $6 million expansion of Veterans Memorial Highway.

Employee wages and benefits ate up $12.3 million, or 72 percent of the general fund budget of $17.1 million. Despite requests for 16 new hires, the city approved just 1.5 new positions and declined to fund three firefighter/emergency medical staff positions approved last year.