A $20.8-million operating budget covering anticipated costs for the city of Powell — everything from lifeguards to police cars — was approved Monday night.The Powell City Council gave its unanimous stamp of approval with little discussion. Councilmen had reviewed budget line items during work sessions last month. The budget covers the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2010.

The $20.8-million budget calls for about $3,833 in spending per resident. (The Wyoming Department of Economic Analysis forecasts Powell's 2009 population at 5,442.)

Though budget concerns loom in Wyoming's future, state funding for the city of Powell is secure for the next fiscal year.

Base funding through the Wyoming Legislature was maintained at approximately the average of the last two budget years, according to City Administrator Zane Logan.

“There will be supplemental funds distributed to towns and cities for this fiscal year. The local economy shows signs of the (nationwide) recession, but the hope is that there will be continued minerals and natural-gas development in Wyoming,” Logan wrote in a letter directed to the mayor, council and citizens.

Logan said the fiscal year 2009-10 budget is balanced, with the caveat that $950,000 will come out of reserve funding to cover some construction costs at the Powell Aquatic Center site, such as asphalt, water lines, electricity and other expenses that exceed the $9.25 million estimated for the facility's construction.

“We went over budget, but the city mitigated it a great deal,” Logan told the council.

The labor of city employees — rather than outside crews — has reduced that price tag.

“Had the costs for site work, parking lot, storm drainage, utilities extension and engineering, etc., been part of the original construction cost, this amount could have easily exceeded $2 million. This ($950,000) represents the city's commitment to this important community project,” Logan stated in the letter.

The city's reserves are estimated to be $2.85 million on June 30, the last day of this fiscal year, said City Finance Director Annette Thorington. The pool costs will reduce the reserves to about $1.9 million, she said.

She said the pool costs were an appropriate use of reserve funding, adding it was a project the voters chose and the council decided its direction.

The city's general fund, where department expenses and revenue are tracked, amounts to nearly $7.4 million. As in previous years, the Powell Police Department's budget is the heftiest among the 22 general fund budget items at $1.9 million.

Salaries and wages account for around $1.2 million of the police budget. Five new patrol cars also are included in the expenses. Three of the vehicles originally were slated for the 2008-09 budget year, but troubles at General Motors delayed their shipment, Thorington said. The cost of all five patrol cars amounts to $174,175.

Thorington said she suspects the two new vehicles planned for the 2009-10 budget also may be delayed for the following budget year.

The Panther Boulevard construction project also was moved forward into the next budget cycle, as work will not be accounted for in the current budget.

Powell city employees will see a 2.7-percent raise on their paychecks starting with the new budget starting in July.

That essentially is a cost-of-living adjustment in pay. The cost of living increased 2.7 percent, according to the State of Wyoming Economic Analysis Division.

The city government began assuming full payment of the retirement contribution for employees last July.

Last year's operating budget was around $24 million, Thorington said.

Copies of the budget are available at the Powell Branch Library and online under the “Links” section of the city's Web site, www.cityofpowell.com.