Smithville Budget Passes, Includes New Emergency Responder Positions

City of Smithville’s new fiscal year budget includes a new police officer and a new full-time firefighter.

City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson said that was one of the big asks from those two departments. He said the additional personnel will serve as a huge boost to the city.

“I think now we’ll be able to staff someone at the fire department for weekends and probably nights,” Hendrixson said. “So if there’s a call out in the middle of the night there’ll be someone out there with the equipment ready to go when the volunteers get there.”

Hendrixson said capital outlay projects for the coming year include a new irrigation system for the golf course as well as adding security cameras at Green Brook Park to cut back on minor vandalism. He said a few projects will bleed over from the previous fiscal year, including bridge repairs at the Dry Creek Bridge.

Hendrixson said the city also passed an updated water and sewer rate. He said an outside firm recommended the city put in a three percent increase for both of those rates.

“We’re trying not to raise them too high but keep them to where it doesn’t hit the ratepayers too hard and if we do it in slow increments it keeps us there,” Hendrixson said. “By state standards you have to finish in the black at least once every two years and if you finish in the red they come in and want to know your plan and they can actually raise their rates.”

Hendrixson said the goal is to not affect the ratepayers too much while still trying to break even.