Council limits overtime due to budget concerns

WORLAND — With a decline in revenue anticipated for the 2020-21 fiscal year, the Worland City Council approved a motion last Tuesday to disallow any overtime pay.

The issue was brought up by budget committee member and council member Mike Neufer. “We just got done with the budget and everything is going to be super tight. In viewing the overtime, I think we could trim it a bunch.”

Council member Mandy Horath agreed stating, “I think all overtime should be immediately ceased,” unless it is for the health and safety of community members.

Horath said that in her time on the council they have been fortunate to never have to put limits on overtime pay. However, she added that it was not unheard of as previous councils have had to limit overtime during tight budgets.

Neufer said that if employees work through lunch or end up working late to fix water or sewer leaks they should take off early on Fridays.

The motion exempted the Worland Police Department.

Airport Manager Lynn Murdoch said her department can try and tighten up overtime but they are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct day and night runway inspections.

And, occasionally, she said,they are called out after hours to “herd sheep because sheep on the runway,” which did occur recently.

Neufer said the recommendation, prior to approval of the motion, was being made in order to try and keep all current city employees. Under the current budget, the city has spent $28,936.46, to date, in overtime pay and a total of $62,425.29 in overtime and “extra hours,” excluding the police department.

Glanz explained, “Extra hours are paid at straight time and are for on call time that is not actually worked or for overtime calculated into comp time and any time over the 40 hours maximum accrual of comp time.”

In other budget news, Mayor Jim Gill said that this coming year was going to be challenging for the City of Worland. “I commend the budget committee on trimming things back. There’s a lot of ambiguity on what will happen with revenues.”

Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Glanz said in an interview this week that she was estimating a decline in revenue of gasoline, cigarette and sales taxes due to the impact of COVID-19 on the local and state economy.

She said revenue for the general fund was cut by about 25% from the current budget.

Glanz said previous budgets have included 1 to 3% merit raises for employees. The proposed budget does not include any raises.

Horath said, “This is the hardest budget I’ve had to sit through. We’ve never had to go through line item by line item before.”

The budget includes one equipment purchase, a sanitation truck, which is on the replacement schedule.

There are only a few capital construction projects in the proposed budget — the Culbertson infrastructure project, waterline project behind the new Kennedy Ace building and the sewer treatment project. The sewer project is awaiting approval of a grant that has been submitted to the State Loan and Investment Board. There is also pass-through funding for the taxilane expansion project at the Worland Municipal Airport.

Glanz said local funding for non-profit organizations was also cut back under the proposed budget.

The proposed budget includes $5.1 million for the general fund, $912,957 for the capital projects; $2.1 million for water fund, $1.6 million for the sewer fund and $1.1 million for the sanitation fund. The city has also budgeted $80,000 for the expendable trust fund and $31,000 for the agency fund.

Glanz explained that the agency funds include Pioneer Square funds and any expenditures of the Tree Board. The expendable trust fund is the money used to loan for curb, gutter and sidewalk loans or business loans.

First reading of the proposed budget will be at the next council meeting, next Tuesday, May 19.