Council gets first look at proposed budget

By Miles Smith
LPR Editor

The proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 for Lockhart is $29.8 million with several meetings and workshops ahead where city council members will hear from citizens and staffers before making their final decision.
The preliminary budget was presented in thick binders to council members at a July 5 meeting, which included a summary document from City Manager Vance Rodgers.
Rodgers noted there had been an increase in expenses over the previous year, including a 3 percent wage increase for non-civil service employees and a 15 percent increase in employee health insurance premiums that the city would continue to cover rather than shove the burden onto the employees.
“(This) is a great benefit considering several cities are now requiring employees to contribute $100 to $150 per month toward health insurance premiums,” Rodgers wrote. “Staff will continue to look for savings and expense reductions.”
Read more in this week’s Post-Register.