By Marla Jones, Managing Editor • marla@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — On Monday, the Rainsville City Council held its first budget meeting of 2020. 

Accountant Betty Holcomb advised the Council that the original budget surplus was $103,633. 

In November 2019, the Council voted to give pay raises in the amount of $77,364, which is equivalent to a $.60 per hour raise. 

With the remaining funds, annual raises were recommended for the Rainsville Police and Fire Chiefs ($7,080), the City Clerk ($4,130), the Court Clerk ($3,540 from the JA Fund), and the sewer operator ($5,900 transferred from the sewer fund). The budget would have to be amended by $30,000 to accommodate these raises.

Councilmember Marshall Stiefel said while he had "no problem" with adjusting the budget to fund raises, he was frustrated with only hearing the information for the first time at the meeting, instead of prior to the meeting, like all the other councilmembers. Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt apologized for not keeping Stiefel up to date.

Councilmember Ricky Byrum stated that to keep a good sewer operator with plenty of training that pay must be increased.

Holcomb set the amount for governmental revenues in the 2019-2020 general fund budget at $4,519,500. 

Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt asked the Council to consider moving someone from part-time to full-time in the street department for mowing and various other City jobs, along with the above budget changes. 

Next week, steps will be taken to vote to amend the budget at the council meeting on Monday, March 16.