Council to review mid-year budget

The Angels Camp City Council will get a midyear budget update Tuesday night.

The second-quarter report appears to have as sunny an outlook as the first quarter, with major revenue sources like lodging, property and sales taxes each exceeding anticipated performance while expenditures have remained below projections.

In a letter to the council, City Administrator Michael McHatten noted the second quarter report is usually the “tipping point” for implementing spending cutbacks if revenue trends appear worrisome. McHatten does not recommend any such actions based on the midyear budget performance.

The city has received 54.8 percent of its projected revenue for 2011-2012 halfway through the year, with $87,704 in receipts above the anticipated first-half amount.

Combined with a spending level at just 41 percent of the total budget figure, including 44 percent of payroll and 35 percent of operating expenditures, the city “stands a good chance at significantly closing the gap on our budgeted operating loss,” McHatten said.

The council approved a budget with a $184,521 draw on the general fund in August 2011, a year after adopting another deficit budget.

McHatten said the council was prudent in budgeting more-conservative figures, especially for sales tax, in its revenue projections this year versus the last.

In other business, the council will consider an agreement with the county to store five public health emergency supply trailers on property adjacent to the police department building. The trailers can be used to set up an emergency immunization clinic and distribute medications and other care in the event of a major flu outbreak or similar epidemic.

The Angels Camp site is preferred due to its proximity to Bret Harte High School and the security component of being near the police station.

State and federal grants provide for emergency planning, which includes pre-positioning emergency supplies in different areas of the community, according to Calaveras County Public Health Officer Dr. Dean Kelaita.

Kelaita said supplies often include basic emergency gear such as flashlights and generators as well as medical materials like cots, gauze and surgical instruments for use in case of a major trauma event.

Council members are also expected to set up a March 20 joint workshop with the city Planning Commission to discuss procedural issues and the division of responsibilities between each panel.