The fiscal year 2022 budget for the city of Homewood includes funding for the continued beautification of the west side of 18th Street, sidewalks, merit pay increases for employees and more.
Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky shared the highlights of his proposed budget during a meeting of the Homewood City Council’s Finance Committee on Aug. 30, and the council later passed the budget on Sept. 27.
Those highlights include $420,000 worth of payroll merit increases (after taxes and pension), along with a 1% cost-of-living increase, which will cost about $250,000, McClusky said.
While his budget proposal did not include a bonus for city employees, he will make a request for one to the City Council to consider before the end of the year if there is a surplus, McClusky told the Finance Committee. The City Council also agreed to fund Tier II pensions, which will cause the city’s pension costs to rise about $163,000 per year.
The mayor’s budget proposal included about $6.4 million in projects a construction fund, including:
► $1.2 million for Shades Creek Greenway Phase II work
► $2.8 million for the Interstate 65 Diamond Interchange, which will create a diverging diamond that crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road at the bridge, allowing drivers to veer left onto I-65 without stopping. It will also allow vehicles approaching Lakeshore from the interstate off-ramps to merge into traffic without waiting for a light.
► $2.5 million for Green Springs Revitalization, which includes a connector sidewalk from Broadway Street to Lakeshore Drive, as well as the cost of the bid alternative for the project, McClusky said.
The city also will receive federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act and use:
► $270,000 for the dredging and cleaning of Griffin Creek
► $151,500 for creek wall repairs
► $350,000 for road drainage along Old Montgomery Highway
► $980,000 for storm sewer and drainage improvements
► $1.6 million for a new chiller heating ventilation and air conditioning system at City Hall
The proposed budget calls for $7 million in capital project expenditures, including money toward the beautification of 18th Street, with about $2.5 million coming from the city and the other $2 million coming from the Alabama Department of Transportation. Expenditures are also budgeted for a Samford pocket park and sidewalks in select parts of the city. This represents an increase from last year’s budget, which called for $5.2 million in capital expenses. Last year, the 18th Street beautification project had $2.4 million budgeted for the west end and $460,000 budgeted for the east end.
Sidewalks are currently slated to be added to Saulter Road, Lancaster Road, Mecca Avenue and Forest Brook Drive, according to the proposed budget.
The city budget also includes roughly $20 million in tax revenue slated to go to Homewood City Schools. Of that amount, roughly $9.6 million are budgeted to come from sales tax, while the other $10 million will come from property taxes.
Expected general fund revenues total $57.6 million, an increase from last year’s budget of about $55.5 million, McClusky said.
