Cda Budget Won’t Touch Homeowner Pocketbooks Proposed Spending Plan Wouldn’t Hike Property Taxes

For the eighth year running, the average homeowner won’t pay the city another dime in property taxes if the proposed 1998 budget is adopted by the Coeur d’Alene City Council.

Water, sewer and street light rates also won’t increase for the eighth year in a row, under the proposed budget.

The preliminary $32.11 million spending plan was unveiled at the City Council meeting Tuesday evening. If adopted, it means the owner of a $100,000 home, with the state homeowner’s exemption, will pay $290 in property taxes to the city.

The proposed 1998 budget includes money for a new police officer, potential 3 percent raises for city employees, money for eight major street projects and funding to design a new police station on Kathleen Avenue.

The budget also earmarks $24,000 to win a $100,000 federal grant. That would cover the cost of two new police department employees who would take over paperwork duties, freeing officers for police work.

There’s a net loss of one employee in this year’s spending plan, bringing the total number of city workers to 238.

City employees are being asked to pay $30 more a month to cover an overall $100,000 increase in health insurance premiums.

City workers now pay between $25 and $40 a month. The city has reached an impasse with the Lake City Employees Association, firefighter and police associations over the increase. The issue is in the hands of a fact-finder.

But the city’s proposal to give workers a 3 percent raise is predicated on the employees absorbing the insurance premium increase, City Finance Director John Austin said. In addition, workers are being asked to agree not to charge for overtime until after working 40 hours.

Currently, employees are allowed to claim overtime if they work more than an eight-hour day. With a $10 million personnel budget, the over-time can add up rapidly, Austin said.

For the first time, the city has money from impact fees to spend on construction projects. It has collected $300,000 in the five months the program has been operating.

With city funding, it means several major street projects. Those include the extension of Neider Avenue from Government Way to Fourth Street. Construction could begin next summer.

There is $300,000 in the budget for engineering work on Government Way. That will design the creation of a four-lane, and in some places, five-lane street to replace the crowded two-lane road.

The state will pick up the actual construction cost, but it will not begin until after the year 2000.

Impact money will go for a traffic signal at the intersection of Ramsey Road and Honeysuckle Avenue and for upgrading more of Ramsey.

It also will be used for acquiring right of way for the extension of West Lunceford Lane and East Ironwood Drive.

The council will vote on whether to adopt the preliminary budget Monday evening in a special meeting at City Hall beginning at 5:15 p.m.

There will be workshop sessions for the council Aug. 21 and Aug. 26.

Public input is being taken Sept. 2 at City Hall beginning at 7 p.m.

, DataTimes