Salary increases, capital projects account for $17 million increase in Albany budget
File Photo: Alan Mauldin
By Alan Mauldin
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ALBANY — In a nearly $317 million Albany city budget that represents a $17 million increase from the previous year’s spending, much of that increase is contained in raises for employees and spending of sales tax revenues approved last year by voters.
The spending plan, which is up from the $299.59 million approved last year, includes a 13.51% pay raise for most Albany Police Department officers and a 6.1% increase for employees in all other departments.
About 123 police officers will receive raises under the budget approved by the Albany City Commission in June and some 743 employees in other departments, Albany Finance Director Derrick Brown said.
The FY 2024 budget went into effect on July 1 and runs through June 30, 2024. Of the $299 million budgeted for the prior year, total spending was less than budgeted at $259.21 million.
“I think the biggest highlight is we were able to increase our police officers up to the rank of major and below by 13.51% and establish a $50,000 starting salary,” Brown said. “That was a big goal of our commissioners to get to that.”
The budgetary impact of the police pay increase is $1.3 million, the finance director said. The police department also cut spending by about $250,000 in other areas.
The increase for other employees will cost $2.7 million, putting the total for salary increases at $4 million.
“We were able to implement a 6.1% COLA (cost of living adjustment) for all other employees,” Brown said. “To be able to do that was a huge task for us.”
Employees received a 4.5% raise last year and a 2.5% increase the year before that, Brown said.
With collections for the latest special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST VIII) kicking in this year and collections from the previous SPLOST VII included in the current budget year, available sales tax funds for the 2023-2024 budget is projected to be about $10.5 million more than the previous year.
Among the large capital outlays over the next year are completing the general aviation terminal facility at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport and outlays for the combined sewer overflow project.
The overall sewage project is expected to take up to $135 million, and the city is under a federal mandate to complete 85% separation of sewage and stormwater by June 2025.
The total construction cost of the general aviation terminal, which serves private aviation, is $3 million, Brown said.
“One of the things the city manager has talked about is really focusing on our infrastructure this year,” he said. “The (CSO) project is something we’re going to spend a lot of time and funds on over the next several years.”
Other capital outlays include vehicle purchases. However, due to supply-chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery time for cars and big equipment has been delayed.
The 2023-2024 budget contains up to $8 million for cars and other vehicles.
“Delivery has been a challenge,” Brown said. “We’re at the mercy of the supply chain, but if we had our way we would buy them.”
The budget also contains funding to study the relocation of Albany Municipal Court from the Dougherty County-owned Judicial Building in downtown Albany.
The state has approved funding for a fourth Superior Court judge, and the two governments have been in discussion of the city vacating its space to provide additional space for new offices and a courtroom for the additional judge.
The city is in the process of closing out the 2022-2023 budget year, including paying invoices from that fiscal year, but the city’s total reserves likely will be in the range of $465 million, Brown said.
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