Print |
E-mail to a friend
NEWS
Wolfe gives update on user fee purchases
Mayor Kim Wolfe, left, and Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook hold a press conference Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, to display the city vehicles that were purchased with user fee dollars.
Purchase this photo
HUNTINGTON -- Mayor Kim Wolfe continued a public awareness campaign Friday that lets Huntington residents know how their user fee dollars are being spent.
Wolfe conducted a news conference in front of City Hall to give an update on purchases made with the $3-a-week fee, which is charged to anyone who works within city limits. Five new police cruisers and an assortment of public works vehicles that were purchased with the fee served as a backdrop for the news conference.
All of the new equipment purchases will bear a sticker that says it was purchased with revenue from the fee, Wolfe said.
Wolfe proposed and City Council members approved a $1-a-week increase in the fee earlier this year. The increase took effect July 1. Support for the fee was largely based on assurances from Wolfe that his administration would be transparent in its spending.
The city is budgeted to collect $4.85 million from the $3 weekly fee this year. Approximately $3.25 million of that amount, or the amount that $2 of the fee generates, is budgeted for special units in the Police Department and police equipment and training, according to a revenue and expense report on the fee.
The revenue from the $1 increase, or about $1.6 million, is being used for road paving ($809,000), seven new police officers ($551,000), five new cruisers ($72,000), new traffic and street equipment ($111,000), and a street sweeper operator ($57,000).
All but one of the 25 paving projects have been completed, Wolfe said. A paving project for 13th Street West is on hold until sewer improvements are made.
All of the seven police officers have been hired and are either on the force or in training at the West Virginia State Police Academy, Police Chief Skip Holbrook said.
Holbrook also unveiled a new paint scheme for his department's cruisers during the news conference. The new design will save the city about $300 per vehicle, because it requires less paint, striping and labor, he said. The design will be phased in as older cruisers are retired from service, he said.
To view a detailed breakdown of user fee spending, go to www.cityofhuntington.com and click on "government" then "news & announcements." City officials have said the information will be updated monthly.
Hard copies of the information are available for review in the City Clerk's Office at City Hall.
