Marion plans for budget

Marion city council members took an early look at this year’s budget schedule during Monday’s meeting.

A tax lid passed by the legislature in 2015 goes into effect for the budget the city will create and approve in August. The amount that taxes can be raised without an election is tied to the Consumer Price Index.

City administrator Roger Holter told council members this year’s tax increase can be only 1.4 percent.

Certain needs, including emergency medical services and law enforcement, are exempt from the lid, but most other expenses fall under the lid. Holter estimated the cost of a special election at $10,000.

In other matters, the council:

• Approved two fireworks sales permits.
• Heard that firefighters will have a regional fire school Sept. 8-10 at Marion High.
• Approved a beer license for MacGregor’s.
• Authorized police to fence an area behind the fire station to store impounded and seized vehicles. Money from a property seizure fund will pay for the fence.