The Knox City Council Tuesday approved a series of transfers within departmental budgets in order to balance the books. The biggest cost overrun is in the sanitation department, with a total of $6,520.17 moved from other line items into the garbage contract, according to Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston.
He says the city isn’t collecting enough from residential customers to cover their contractual cost for the service. That’s either due to people not paying their bills or to unoccupied houses with no monthly bills.
Houston says the transfer will bring the budget back into the black but will not be enough to get the city through the end of the year. That’s a concern for Mayor Dennis Estok.
“If this $6,500 is just getting us out, we’re going to be right back in before the year is over with,” Estok said. “We’re going to have to come up with a solution instead of raiding all the funds.”
Houston notes the city has spent more money on dumpsters this year than in the past. In addition to the annual dumpster days disposal event they provided five dumpsters for the removal of debris from the house at 108 Allen Drive that the street department is demolishing.
The city council did not make a decision about the future of the sanitation services budget.
