By Joseph M. Morgan

joseph@southerntorch.com

RAINSVILLE, Ala.— The Rainsville City Council approved a $4.2 million budget at their city council meeting Monday night. When presented, the budget was broken down by department to define each internal expense. The largest expense in most departments was that of maintaining operations and staffing—the amount required to pay department insurances and salaries and benefits for the city’s policemen, firemen, dispatchers, sanitation workers, road crews, library and parks employees and other city personnel.

Two of the largest non-personnel expenses included $80,000 for street lights and $50,000 for street repair and maintenance. The largest non-personnel expense however, is the city’s contribution to the Public Building Authority—$204,000 to subsidize the payment of the NE Alabama Agricultural Center. The $204,000 is addition to $85,000 per year the city pays to subsidize Ag Center salaries, benefits, insurance, building maintenance and other expenses. The combined expense costs the city of Rainsville $24,000 a month to subsidize the payment of the Ag Center facility and help pay for its daily operation.

The Rainsville council also discussed renovating the former Weekly Post building in order to relocate the DeKalb County Annex there. Councilman Rodger Lingerfelt said doing so would allow the Rainsville Police Department to utilize the full annex building and park their cars at the police station.

Currently the City of Rainsville pays all utilities, equipment costs and operational expenses at the DeKalb County Annex building except for the salaries of the county employees that staff the annex.

Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones said he felt the county should take on more of the operational expenses of the annex and said he would like to try to renegotiate the annex deal with the county before making a final decision. The council agreed to postpone a vote on the matter until the mayor could meet with county officials.

In other business:

• The council tabled a vote to terminate the city’s contract with Judicial Court Services

• The council voted to approve spending $5,000 for updating Christmas decorations

• The council approved the placement of an historical marker for the McCurdy home location

• The council approved the spending of $1,800 to purchase two new tasers for the Rainsville