Simmesport budget cuts will save $132,000 in 2020-21 fiscal year

Cost-cutting measures adopted in March will save Simmesport $38,305 for the rest of this budget year and $132,447.24 in the fiscal year beginning July 1.

In response to a public records request for the plan adopted by the Town Council following a closed meeting on March 9, the newspaper was given a copy of the "internal memo" from the mayor to aldermen detailing the measures.

One cut was to close administrative offices on Friday. Estimated savings from enactment to June 30 was $10,527. It will save $36,493.60 for the 2020-21 budget year.

There would also be no Street/Utilities Department employees on duty Friday, except for one on standby to handle any emergencies. This is expected to save $2,656.80 for the rest of the fiscal year and $9,210.24
for 2020-21.The town would not fill a vacant Street/Utilities position, saving $5,568 this fiscal year and $19,302.40 in the next. A part-time operator will be contracted as needed.

The plan also laid off three part-time employees in Town Hall, saving $8,205 this fiscal year and $28,444 in 2020-21.

In the Police Department, the council approved reducing the number of officers on the day shift to one, saving $8,049.13 in salary and $1,200 in fuel in the current budget. It would save $27,597 in salary and
$3,600 in fuel for 2020-21. There would continue to be two officers working at night.

The budget cuts call for releasing five part-time officers and possibly one or two full-time officers.

The Volunteer Fire Department will have to pay its own electricity and phone bills, saving the town about $7,800 a year.

General cost-saving measures include no overtime or expenditures unless pre-approved by the mayor, remove non-working part-time employees and any town-owned vehicles not being used from the town's
insurance and order supplies in bulk online at the cheapest price.

The plan also requires orders for equipment and supplies to go through the town clerk.

The 2019-20 budget that ends June 30 projects a total operating deficit of $446,300, which would be covered by a $1,946,812 beginning balance. That would reduce the overall fund balance to just over $1.5 million to begin the the 2020-2021 fiscal year on July 1.

Most of that beginning balance is in the Water and Sewer Fund. The 2019 ending balance in that account was $1,573,499. The year-ending balance for 2020 is projected to be $1,485,149.

The year-end balance in the General Fund will be reduced from $96,070 in 2019 to $120. The Sales Tax balance will shrink from $184,089 in 2019 to $5,339 and the Natural Gas System Fund will decrease from $92,268 in 2019 to $8,768 for this budget year.