No jobs eliminated in city of Kalipell's 2011 budget

No jobs are being cut as a result of Kalispell's 2011 Fiscal Year budget. 

This comes on the heels of the recently concluded 2010 Fiscal Year that resulted in an aggregate total of four positions being eliminated. Seven dispatchers lost their jobs due to implementation of the new 911 center in northwest Kalispell, but the city hired three records technicians to help with some of the work-related overlap that still needed to be done.

In addition, three positions - community development director, building permit technician and assistant fire chief of prevention - were not filled in the last fiscal year.

In the 2009 Fiscal Year, nine positions were cut and 13 were left unfilled. The city was able to fill two of those jobs, for police officers, this past fiscal year, City Human Resources Director Terry Mitton said.

Kalispell City Council approved the final Fiscal Year 2011 budget Aug. 16 unanimously with two members absent. That marked a stark contrast from previous years, when councilmen Bob Hafferman and Tim Kluesner voted no.

The city's general fund budget declined slightly from $9.108 million in Fiscal Year 2010 to $9.072 million in Fiscal Year 2011.

The overall budget declined from $47.189 million to $42.214 million.

Aside from taking $2.874 million out of the budget for airport land acquisition reimbursement that could come from the Federal Aviation Administration, not a lot changed from last fiscal year, City Finance Director Amy Robertson said.

One thing she mentioned was that the water, sewer, storm sewer and sold waste budgets declined.

The water budget went from $4.354 million to $4.156 million; the sewer budget went from $6.389 million to $5.155 million; the storm sewer budget went from $1.673 million to $1.010 million, and the solid waste budget went from $811,668 to $777,817.

Much of these decreases can be traced to "a lot of rain in June," Robertson said. In addition, "We tightened the belt in all of them."

The sewer plant construction is complete, and the city now has to pay for it, she said. The sewer budget could be revamped if the council decides not to approve a proposed 5 percent rate increase sometime this month.

One other significant change includes a $1.258 million remodel of Fire Station No. 61, in large part thanks to a grant.

The city also got more federal stimulus funds for streets, $34,844, and energy upgrades of city buildings, $191,700.

The city uses cash reserves to pay for things until tax revenues come in, which happens four times a year. The city ended Fiscal Year 2010 with $649,843 in cash reserves, and estimates it will end Fiscal Year 2011 with $900,897.

Robertson said the final budget for Fiscal Year 2011 would be available online at www.kalispell.com beginning Sept. 3.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.