The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - The Dayton City Council Tuesday night reviewed the proposed 2012 city budget that would raise garbage rates and sewer rates to maintain city services amid a tough economy.

"It's a very conservative budget knowing things will go south farther than they will go north," Councilman Merle Jackson said.

The budget does not include any large projects for the city in 2012, so the city can keep its head above water until the economy improves, Mayor Craig George said.

"So when things move forward, we can move forward," Jackson said.

For the city's 13 employees, the budget includes a 1.5 percent pay increase. Cost of living rose about 3 percent, and George said 1.5 percent was the middle of the road.

Because of the city's garbage contract, citizens' bills would increase by 84 cents, George said.

There is no proposed water increase, but that may have been a mistake, Jackson said. A water rate increase would have helped build reserves and boosted the fund for replacement. But, because of the sewer and garbage increases, the city did not want to place too much of a burden on residents by raising water rates, he said.

"In good conscience, we did not raise the water rates," Jackson said. "Although, that may come back to bite us."

The proposed 3 percent sewer rate increase will fund the city's new wastewater treatment plant permit requirements as mandated by the Department of Ecology, and the money will benefit sewer reserves.

The city will not raise property tax for the fourth or fifth year, George said.

One small project included in the budget is goat vegetation and herbicide management for the dike system to meet Corps of Engineer's levee certification requirements.

Also in 2012, the city would like to start planning for the new wastewater treatment plant that has to be in place by 2021, improve code enforcement services, implement a yard waste management program, assess street and alley maintenance, conserve water in the park and install a pedestrian blinking light at the top of Main Street.

"2012 is the year to maintain what we have and then look to the future," George said.

The discussion of the budget Monday night did not include a vote on the proposed budget, which will take place likely at the next council meeting.