WINONA LAKE- Winona Lake Town Council Tuesday held a budget working session to discuss the town's proposed 2010 budget.
The work session was following the regularly scheduled town council meeting.
The proposed budget for 2010 is $1,275,419, a 1.8 percent increase from the 2009 budget of $1,253,340.Clerk-Treasurer Retha Hicks said the council will hold a public hearing for the budget Sept. 15. The budget must be approved by Oct. 1.
The town is proposing 1 percent salary increases for the town coordinator, clerk-treasurer, and building commissioner.
The largest proposed budget increase for 2010 is for the Winona Lake Volunteer Fire Department.
The 2010 fire department budget proposal is $86,065, or a 19.7 percent increase over the $71,880 budget in 2009.
The department is proposing a 33 percent increase in its operating supplies budget to purchase fire safety materials for its program in teaching fire safety in the schools.
The department also is proposing a 13 percent increase in its fire equipment budget to equip its new fire ladder truck it purchased from Kendallville Fire Department.
Kevin Bell, Winona Lake Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief, said the department needs to purchase a piston intake valve to put on the side of the fire truck.
They also need to add an intercom system to the ladder truck for communication within the truck on the way to calls.
The town is proposing a 7.5 percent increase in the park department budget.
The town also is proposing a 3.4 percent increase in the motor vehicle highway budget.
