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The Warsaw Parks and Recreation Board unveiled its 2000 budget request Tuesday, and it reflects an effort to "catch-up" on projects deleted in 1999.
Parks superintendent Jon Garber said the budget request of $1,172,875 is 10.6 percent higher than the approved 1999 budget for the department and 8 percent higher than the one proposed last year.
"Even though it's 10 percent higher, it's requesting the funds to catch up from last year, so it really isn't out of line," Garber said.
The budget proposal meets Mayor Ernie Wiggins' guidelines of a 2.5 percent increase in wages and salaries and a 25 percent increase in insurance costs, he said The combined line item total for employee expenses is $676,200.
Other major line item totals proposed include:
• Supplies (office, operating, maintenance and repair, and other) - $90,800.
• Other services and charges (professional services, communication and transportation, printing and advertising, insurance, utilities, repair and maintenance, debt and other services) - $339,675.
This budget request includes $25,000 to be used as matching funds for any grants, such as the trail and bikeway project currently in the planning stage.
"We've been in the situation here we have to take money from other line items when we are awarded grants requiring a city match," Garber said. "This line item will ensure we have readily available funds to make those matches."
He added that if no grants are received, the funds would be applied toward projects identified in the five-year master plan.
This budget section also includes $42,800 for contractual expenses for musicians/entertainers, sound support, children's programming and workshop and conference fees.
• Capital outlays (machinery and equipment) - $66,200.
Included in the line item is $25,000 for new metal playground equipment for Kiddieland in Central Park and $24,000 for a new three-quarter ton pickup truck to replace a 1987 GMC.
The non-reverting budget proposal for children, family and entertainment programs sponsored by the parks department, totals $3,500 and remains the same as for 1999, Garber said.
The proposed Cumulative Capital Improvement budget for 2000 totals $28,000 and includes expenditures of $12,000 to the City-County Athletic Complex; $15,000 to enlarge the southern performance area in Central Park; $13,000 for ornamental lights and permanent benches in Beyer Park.
In other business, board president Don Clemens said the department is still short of its $20,000 goal for the July 3 fireworks celebration and is still seeking donations.
"We're $1,800 short of the $20,000 we need for the fireworks," he said. "We'll be approaching the service clubs to see if they might be able to donate."
Garber also announced the addition to the rental policy of the Pike Lake Fireman's Building to exclude alcohol and placing a noise restriction on the facility after 10 p.m. Violation of the policy will result in forfeiture of the $100 damage deposit.
