Where is Black Mountain spending funds? Planning, stormwater, golf, more in budget talks

Black Mountain continued budget talks for the next fiscal year at a workshop session April 11. 

Town Manager Josh Harrold led Town Council through the final departments: Planning and development, stormwater, golf pro shop, golf operations, water finance and water operations. Harrold said the next budget workshop session will go through the town's revenues. 

Salaries are down more than $11,000 in the planning department because the current planning director will be the new full-time assistant town manager and a new planning director needs to be hired. 

"We would hire a new person to be planning director," Harrold said. "That person would of course make less money than the current planning director, so that's why your budget is less for salaries." 

Professional and technical services are also down for a total of $141,000, dropping by $93,500. 

Capital outlay for the planning department is increasing by $50,000 for a total of $100,000. Harrold said these funds will go toward the town's match for the Ninth Street bridge replacement. The town is responsible for 20% of the total cost, while the North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for 80%. Harrold said the completion of the project is still "a couple years away" and the total cost for the bridge is currently more than $1 million. 

In total, the requested planning department budget is a little more than $840,000, down nearly $20,000 from the current year. 

The stormwater department is requesting a nearly $40,000 increase in salaries for an allocation for the assistant town manager position to continue working in the department. 

Contract services are down more than $40,000 in the department. Harrold told Town Council this is because the department is not projected to do "as much" this year. 

Harrold said the stormwater department is legally required to do community outreach when it comes to stormwater and hopes to do more and is asking for $8,000 to do so. 

With a total requested budget of more than $360,000, the stormwater budget decreased by more than $20,000 from this year. 

The biggest increase in the golf pro shop department comes in a $9,000 increase in credit card processing fees. Harrold said this can be attributed to more people paying with credit cards at the golf course. 

The Green Tee Grille located at the golf course needs some repairs and $7,500 has been requested to cover this in rental facility expenses. 

The golf pro shop budget increased more than $40,000 from this year for a total of $365,000. 

On the operations side of the golf course, the department is asking for a more than $32,000 increase for salaries. Harrold said part of this an administration position allocation.

Harrold said tree work needs to be done and the department is asking for $10,000 to do so. 

The bridge at hole five needs a replacement at the cost of $30,000 and is being asked for as a capital outlay line item. 

This department's budget is up more than $130,000 from this year for a total of nearly $669,000. 

"You do have these increases, but do we do feel like with the increases in play, it's going to offset," Harrold said. 

Finance Director Tammy Holland presented council with the water finance budget. 

The department is asking for a $105,000 increase in salaries due to the water meter reader being moved to the department and an allocation for another position in the finance department. 

As with the golf course, Holland said more people are paying with credit cards and, as a result, credit card processing fees are increasing $25,000. 

Software licensing is down $25,000 because this fiscal year a new system was installed and the installation fee needed to be paid. 

Postage is increasing $12,000 and Holland said this is due to an increase in postage prices. 

The water finance budget is up nearly $135,000 for a total of nearly $449,000. 

Public Works Director Jamey Matthews presented the water operations budget. 

The department is asking for a $154,000 increase in salaries due to allocated positions. 

The town purchases water from the city of Asheville and the line item for this purchase is increasing by $150,000. Harrold said this is because Asheville is increasing the fee for wholesale customers by 30% for the next three years. This brings the total to $525,000. 

The water operations budget is increasing more than $640,000 for a total of more than $2.9 million. 

The next budget workshop is scheduled for April 18 at 8:30 a.m. in Town Hall. 

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