City Council focuses money on set priorities

MT. PLEASANT — It is business as usual for the City of Mt. Pleasant as the city council continues to approve expected and necessary expenditures such as a salary increase for and police vehicle purchase at the Dec. 27 meeting.

In the midst of concerns for budgets from many cities and counties across Iowa due to House File 718, Mayor Steve Brimhall says the city hopes they’re in good spot moving forward.

“We’re pretty sure we are OK,” Brimhall said. “But we haven’t gotten our numbers yet from the county know where we’re at.”

Despite that, the council approved a $1 per hour raise for Water Waste Treatment Plant Operator Chris Ellington in light of his recent completion of his grade three WWTP Operators License.

According to Brimhall, the raise for Ellington is simply policy, and the employees receive a $1 increase for each time they increase their licensure.

“Water waste treatment plant operators are extremely important,” Brimhall said. “We need two down there.”

As far as the purchase of the new police vehicle for $44,050, Brimhall says it the city’s practice to buy a new vehicle each year, though, the price has increased significantly for the same type of vehicle only a year later.

Earlier in the meeting City Administrator Brent Schleisman clarified how the current city council prioritizes their spending of tax dollars.

“Our objective and part of our main function is public safety, fire, police and infrastructure,” Schleisman said. “That’s where we believe more values are and so that’s what we want to concentrate our property tax dollars on and have.”

Meanwhile, the city is currently working to cut costs in other areas such as solid waste management.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com