The budget for the 2012 year was accepted by motion at the Carlyle town council meeting on Feb. 22, and holds few surprises, though there are a couple of increases.
The 2011 years turned out to be a good one for the town, as they continued their streak of budget surpluses, due in large part to healthy property sales.
An operating surplus of $162,382 came as a relief, with the previous year's surplus of little more than $50,000 falling short by $120,000 of the projected estimate.
2011 was also the highest level of expenditures that the town ever reached, with operating expenditures running at $2,340,717, about seven percent higher than budget, with the largest increases showing up under transportation expenses, and utilities.
The total expenses in the budget for 2012 are estimated to be $2,078,479.
To help offset growing costs, the mill rate for property taxes within the town has been increased by two.
Also, as part of the funding for the new water plant, the scaled utility increases for water service continues.
With the plan for the new sewer trunk line and cell for the town lagoon, two projects whose combined costs are estimated at $2.5 million, there will be an abrupt increase in the sewer utility charges as well, though future, scaled increases will be much smaller in size.
Individually, water utility revenue for the 2012 year is projected to be $424, 624, up from $299,210 according to the actuals for 2011, and sewer utility income will be up from $131,335 in the 2011 actual to a budgeted estimate of $237,356 for 2012.
With these revenue engine increases, the town projects general revenue income for the year to be $1,287,333, up from $1,175,387 the previous year, while taxation revenue will be up from $928,023 to $1,062,356.
These changes in income and expenditure will leave an estimated surplus of $694,809.
The one area where there is a significant cut in costs compared to last year is in professional and contracted services in the Planning and Development portion of the budget.
Budgeted for 2011 at $206,500, actual spending in the category was $171,650.
The 2012 budget has slashed this to just $12,500.
