When it comes to the city of LaFayette's operations, leaders want to see it run more like a business than a typical municipality.
"Roughly two percent of the city's budget comes from taxes," Mayor Andy Arnold reported at a recent One-Walker meeting. "We are a revenue and utility based city."
Of the city's $28 million budget for 2014, only $469,000 is projected to come from property taxes. LaFayette's gas, electricity and water utility sales to residents both inside and outside the city account for the bulk of the city's revenue, he explained.
With that revenue stream in mind, officials are looking for a new city manager that can bring a business mentality to the municipality. Last spring, local businessman Max Morrison of Flex-A-Bed took over as interim city manager.
"We're looking for somebody who has a lot of business experience an awful lot like Max has," Arnold said. "We want to hire our next city manager out of the business sector instead of the city-municipality sector."
So far, he said the city has received 65 applications for the position and is in the process of narrowing them down. Candidates with at least five years of business experience and a master's degree in business administration will be preferred.
Another step to making the city operate more like a business is a recently approved city council measure that states the council will only approve purchases when there is available cash on hand to pay for such purchases.
"We don't want to borrow money if we don't have to borrow money," Arnold said.
The city is also cracking down on customers who receive utility services from the city.
"We're doing a better job with delinquent customers," said Arnold. "We've gotten a bit tougher and had to condition some of our customers to make sure they're making payments."