Obion mayor and aldermen review, approve budget items

By JOHN BRANNON
Messenger Staff Reporter
About 7:15 p.m. Monday at Obion City Hall, Bryan Barker expressed a few words of thanks to a public body.
“As always, we appreciate the City of Obion’s business very much,” he said, addressing a called meeting of the Obion mayor and board of aldermen.
Barker is division manager for Barker Brothers Waste, which is owned by Republic Services Inc. The company provides solid waste removal and disposal services for several municipalities in northwest Tennessee.
“We’ve been in partnership on this waste pickup a long time and I hope for a long time to come,” he said.
The board had just voted 6-0 to accept Barker’s bid for residential and other solid waste service for the next fiscal year. The new curbside pickup rate is $9.60, a 50-cent increase on the current rate. The contract goes into effect July 1.
Mayor Wes Miller presided over the meeting called for the purpose of dealing with the budget. Aldermen attending were Don Bloxom, Tammy Foggie, Jerry Carver, Patsy Barker and Polk Glover.
Other business transacted included:
• A bid of $13,500 from Joe Enoch & Associates of Dyers-burg to perform an audit of city finances for the 12-month period July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009. The bid was accepted 6-0.
• A presentation of several options from Union City Insurance for health care coverage for city employees. By motion, option 5 was selected 6-0. It provides for a $2,000 deductible, $2,000 out of pocket maximum and other provisions. A single employee would pay $478.47 a year; employee with spouse, $1,004.80 a year; employee with child or children, $861.25 a year; and family coverage of $1,435.41. The plan was accepted 6-0. The contract goes into effect July 15.
• The first reading of the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2010, which begins July 1. It was approved 6-0. The second and final reading is scheduled for 5 p.m. today at City Hall. The budget reflects revenue (income) as $1,938,275 and expenditures as $1,988,667. The property tax rate remains at $1.55 per assessed $100 valuation.
• By 6-0 vote, the city council extended its rural fire protection service from June 30 to Oct. 1, pending a decision on county-wide fire protection. The mayor gave the council a report about a meeting he attended last week on the same subject. A rural fire protection committee met with several fire chiefs to discuss the situation.
“I think it’s something that can be worked out by Oct. 1,” Miller said. “I think it would be good to give them until October. ... This was a positive meeting.”
Published in The Messenger 6.16.09

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