Morgan City council adopts 2015 budget

The City Council adopted its $38.7 million 2015 budget and 2014 amended budget amending 2014 total revenues to $37,894,438 and expenditures to $37,209,661 at Tuesday’s council meeting.
A budget workshop was held Nov. 6 to discuss the 2015 proposed budget, and the budget went through a public hearing Tuesday. The 2014 amended budget went through a second reading and also a public hearing.
The 2014 budget was also amended to leave an ending fund balance of $25,124,824.
At the meeting, the council approved Café JoJo’s request to host “Rhythms on the River” from April 10 through June 5, 2015. Jo Ann Blanchard of Café JoJo’s received permission to hold the event each Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and requested that Front Street from Everett to Freret streets be blocked off.
Also at the meeting, the council approved the renewal of a tennis pro contract with Scott Rhodes to administer the recreation department’s tennis program.
Finance Director Deborah Garber reported that as of Oct. 31, actual total revenues in the general and ancillary funds are greater than the original budget by $614,568 while operating expenses are below budget by $485,858.
In the city’s utility fund, Garber said actual revenues are over budget by $2,026,119 with operating expenses also over budget by $1,239,262. The utility revenues and operational expenses being over budget are largely due to the energy and gas costs being $1,414,092 over budget making the electric and gas revenue over budget as well, Garber said.
During the meeting, District 2 Councilman Barry Dufrene said he received a couple calls from people in his district thanking Public Works Director Michael Loupe for the city’s garbage pickup in the area.
The council also approved 2015 Class A and B liquor license renewals for 43 businesses in the city.