The Auburn City Council has approved a $43,462,530 budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Related: Residential trash pickup fee in Auburn may double next year
The vote was 4-1, with Councilor Tim Locastro voting against the spending plan. As part of the budget, the residential solid waste collection fee was doubled, to $240 per year per residential unit. The tax levy, the total amount to be collected in taxes, will increase by 2.28% over the current year, but Auburn City Clerk Chuck Mason says because the tax rate went down, many homeowners will save enough on taxes to cover the increased solid waste fee.
The adopted budget includes a more optimistic sales tax forecast, estimating that sales tax revenue will be up 13% in the coming year. That compares to a 6.3% forecast in the budget first proposed in April.
Related: Auburn considering increased security measures at City Hall
The new budget also includes $58,777 for increased security at City Hall. The council also reached an agreement with the Auburn YMCA-WEIU to operate the pool at Casey Park this summer. The pool is set to open for the season on July 6.
Listen to my full Inside the FLX conversation with Chuck Mason below.
