With 2017 a little more than two months away, the city has begun working on next year’s budget.
On Monday night, City Council will receive an early presentation regarding the city’s budget for 2017. According to Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, the city’s administration began the budgeting process several weeks ago, and it will draw to a close later in the year.
“The process has started,” he said. “It would have begun on the first of October. By the end of October, the draft will be put together by the administration and be submitted to council, and then it’s up to council to either approve it or disapprove it.”
Council President Chris Knisely said council members would not discuss financial figures Monday night but rather would address plans for the budgeting process.
“We’ll be discussing more of the timeline and the process than the actual budget itself Monday night,” Knisely said.
Council will also consider renewing several loans that it took out to pay for various services around Athens. Those loans went toward a new ladder truck for the fire department and upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
The city will also hear plans to renovate several water lines on the north side of town due to extra pressure on the pipes caused by the steep hillsides in the area, Knisely said.
“We’re always needing to pay attention, infrastructure wise, to those water projects because we’re on hills,” Knisely said. “And when you’re on hills, waterlines are more susceptible to breakage and just needing monitoring and improvements.”
Last year, a waterline beneath Richland Avenue burst, which City Engineer Andy Stone said was likely due to its old age.
“The old lines are under pressure all the time, and sometimes they burst," Stone said.
