Councilwoman Deborah Scott told council members today that, if they wanted to fund retirement medical benefits for city employees, the city should consider selling one of its three golf courses to pay for it.
“I think we ought to liquidate a nonessential item to finance it and the sooner the better,” she said.
Mrs. Scott handed out a budget today that included no tax increases and kept the city at the same $167 million budget as last year.
Highlights of the budget included selling a golf course to pay for setting up a trust fund for retiree medical benefits, combining the Parks and Recreation Department with the Arts, Culture & Education Department and substantially cutting their budgets.
The council spent most of today looking at benefits, agencies and what to cut from Mayor Ron Littlefield’s proposed property tax hike of 64 cents per $100 of assessed value.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.