The Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Board of directors Thursday approved a tentative operations budget for the 2012-2013 program year that was $300 less than last year’s budget.
That’s after the board was notified it will be receiving about $60,000 less than it requested this year from the Clark County Fiscal Court. The City of Winchester funded the entire amount requested by the parks department.
The proposed budget presented to Fiscal Court and the city this year was lower than last year’s budget, Parks Board Chairman Charlie Eury said.
“We went with a budget that was pretty much flatlined and that is the way Jeff (Lewis, parks director) and I presented it,” Eury said. “What we presented was a reduction from what we presented last year.”
Eury said the $60,000 was made up by a reduction of budgets in all areas, with the largest part coming from a $10,000 reduction in maintenance and repairs and a $5,000 reduction in building and maintenance, as well as projected increases of $18,000 in facilities use/natatorium fees and facilities use fees, as well as savings on property and general insurance and workers compensation insurance.
The $566,720 budget shows income of $254,300 from the City of Winchester, $194,420 from the Fiscal Court, $100,000 in facilities use/natatorium fees — up from $90,000 from the earlier proposed budget — and $18,000 in facilities use fees — up from $10,000 on the earlier budget proposal.
Salaries and expenses totaled $289,600, while operating expenses were $273,120. One capital expense item — replacement of a furnace on the first floor of the Health and Wellness Center — was included in the budget at a cost of $4,000.
In other business the Board:
— approved a benefits package renewal for the upcoming fiscal year. The panel received proposals from five companies, which it reviewed at its June 11 meeting. Two companies, Humana Insurance, the department’s current carrier, and United Health Care, were the two closest bids. After reviewing both bids, the board approved accepting the bid from United Health Care.
— approved a 3 percent cost of living increase for the two of the department’s three full-time employees. The third, Parks Director Jeff Lewis, was approved for a 1 1/2 percent cost of living increase. To qualify for the full 3 percent cost of living increase, full-time employees must have been with the department one year. Because of that, Lewis, who has only been with the department for six months, was given a lower percentage increase.
— approved authorizing Lewis and maintenance director Darrell Pryor to negotiate the best available trade-in possible toward the purchase of a new zero-turn mower from the two lowest bidders for the equipment, Central Equipment of Lexington and Advanced Turf Equipment of Winchester.
Contact Bob Flynn at bflynn@winchestersun.com.
