VIENNA — After a series of extra budget workshop meetings, the Vienna Board of Aldermen approved the city budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Going into the first budget workshop on June 17, Mayor Tim Schell said his priority was to find money for the concession stand and restroom renovation at Vienna City Park. The approved budget provides $150,600 for the Ball Fields and Facilities line item.

During the workshop, Utilities Superintendent Shon Westart said the estimated cost may seem higher than the aldermen expected because of the cost of commercial plumbing supplies. The project also includes climate control features to keep the restrooms open through the winter.

Schell suggested the city offer a chance for public comment once it has plans completed for the project. The period could also provide interested people or organizations an opportunity to volunteer donations.

The goal the city discussed setting for the park project was completing it by the start of the spring 2025 baseball season.

Vienna operates using four funds: General, Sewer, Water, and Street.

General has a budgeted income of $330,400 compared to $183,461.27 in budgeted expenses. Categories for the General fund with expenses totaling more than $5,000 include electricity ($20,000), health insurance ($8,500), insurance ($10,500), professional services ($9,000), salaries ($49,000), and trash service ($46,000).

Sewer has a budgeted income of $8,465.08 compared to $52,562.09 in budgeted expenses, which mostly covers salary expenses and employee benefits.

Water has a budgeted income of $186,710 compared to $150,162.00 in expenses. Categories for the Water fund with expenses totaling more than $5,000 include chemicals ($8,500), electricity ($13,500), health insurance ($8,500), materials ($21,000), rural development payment ($45,000), and salaries ($34,000).

Street has a budgeted income of $113,912.29 compared to $122,034.90 in budgeted expenses. Categories for the Street fund with expenses totaling more than $5,000 include electricity ($12,159.93), equipment ($16,045.00), fuel ($7,073.42), health insurance ($8,500), maintenance and repair ($21,176.65), and salaries ($41,404).

During the budget discussion, Schell mentioned his concern for the impact Family Dollar/Dollar Tree would have on the city’s sales tax revenue.

“I wish they would’ve stuck just a little bit longer,” he said.

The city’s utility and police departments expect smaller budgets this year.

The city did not use the entire amount it had budgeted for street paving in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Westart estimated the Street budget would need to be $111,000 to cover the remaining paving in the new fiscal year as the city seals main traffic routes such as Ballpark Road and Vienna-Rolla Road. Last year’s budget for paving was more than $220,000. The other utility project he expected to complete in the coming year was replacing the well house roofs. The estimated $8,500 would come from the Water fund. The only equipment cost from the Street fund would be for a used lawnmower.

Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson said that last year’s police department expenses were higher than normal because the cost included a $15,000 backlog of fees to Maries County’s dispatch center that the department would not need to cover in the coming year. The department also withdrew from a grant for a new police car for which it budgeted $30,000 that would not appear in this year’s police budget.

Schell asked if, during the next fiscal year, the city would continue to receive a grant to reimburse some of the cost of a third full-time police officer. The grant covers 85 percent of the officer’s salary in the first year, 75 percent of the salary in the second year and 40 percent of the salary in the third year. The city covers the total cost of the salary in the fourth and final year. At the end of the last year, the city will decide if it can afford to keep the position.

Thompson said the city will enter the third year of the grant in September. The 2025-26 fiscal year will be when the city pays the full salary.

Schell said the police budget savings would also need to cover some of the expected increase in legal fees the city would pay. During the meeting, the city hired Lauber Municipal Law, LLC as the city’s new representation as it has gone without a city attorney since Ross Bush died in February. The agreement with the new law firm comes at a cost of $195 per hour. The law firm has been representing the city in a records request case with Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman.

The budgeted income for the police department was $124,361 compared to $227,381.57 in budgeted expenses. Categories in the police budget totaling at least $5,000 in expenses include county dispatching fees ($5,000), equipment ($5,000), fuel ($10,212.57), health insurance ($19,167), insurance ($15,000), professional services ($10,000), retirement ($11,000), salaries ($130,302), and Social Security and Medicare ($10,000).

The approved city budget also includes 4 percent raises for city staff.

In other business during the budget meeting, the city hired former alderman Brenda Davis as the new city clerk to take over in July for Angie Combs, who resigned after taking over the position a couple of months ago. Combs will leave once Davis takes over.