By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore City Council members approved during their September 27 meeting a $13 million funding package for the upcoming fiscal year, a package that includes an across-the-board pay increase for all city employees except the mayor and council members.
“This budget includes a five percent pay raise for all the employees of the city,” said Mayor Jim Staff. “That’s very nice for this year.”
As usual, the lion’s share of the 2021-22 municipal budget is earmarked for public safety, as Atmore Police Department ($3,471,500) and Atmore Fire Department ($1,874,400) make up combined 41 percent of projected spending.
General Government, which includes administrative salaries and the day-to-day expenses of running the city, takes up 14-percent of the budget ($1,786,400), while Streets and Sanitation gets a 13-percent slice of the budget pie ($1,707,200).
The second-largest appropriation, $2,341,000 (18 percent), is for Subsidies and Appropriations. This category includes payment on the city’s Rivercane and other debt, as well as money appropriated to Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Atmore, Escambia County Economic Development Authority and similar entities.
Sharing the remainder of the budget are Building & Inspection ($338,000); Beautification ($274,200); Atmore Public Library ($267,200); Cemeteries ($259,900); Parks & Recreation ($242,500); Landfill ($233,600); Municipal Court ($215,250), and Airport ($74,300).
The funding package was unanimously approved, with no discussion.
In other business, the council:
*Approved the use of city streets for Escambia County High School’s homecoming parade, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 15. The parade route was not specified.
*Approved a resolution to apply for Alabama Department of Transportation grants to provide five new hangars and a Jet-A fuel facility at Atmore Municipal Airport.
*Approved a resolution allowing city officials to write letters to owners of properties declared grass and weed nuisances and to place signs in the yards of such properties.
*Announced that another city-sponsored food distribution is scheduled for Thursday, October 28, at the Farmers Market adjacent to city hall. The event is set to begin at 10 a.m.