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The West Point city council reviewed the proposed city budget for 2025 during the work session on Tuesday, which will be a little under $30 million. 

In comparison, the total operating budget in 2007 was around $12 million. City Manager Ed Moon said this is in part due to the influx of industries in the city.

“A lot of that increase has been based on the automotive industry, the property tax and abatements rolling off and then paying 100% except for the newer projects now,” Moon said. Along with the EZ Blockchain on the electric side, he said, “That’s why our electric budget is as large as it is, but that’s a good source of income.”

Moon added, “The city’s employees continue to work hard every day to provide those services.”

He said that the city’s debt service is only 5% of its total budget.

The total operating budget is $29,810,014.06. The budget includes a 4 percent COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) for all full-time employees and several categories of operating budgets. The following are the totals for each of the city’s operating budgets: 

Electric – $11,500,000

General government – $9,000,000

Water/sewer – $4,000,000

Gas – $1,000,000

Sanitation – $500,000

SPLOST – $2,900,000

Based on these numbers, the 4 percent COLA from the CPI (Consumer Price Index) will be around $910,000.

Funding for the electric department will help budget for meter replacement and remote reading technology. It will also help account for the increased rate of maintenance contracting. The department will also budget to purchase a vacuum trailer. 

The water/sewer and gas budgets also account for the meter replacement and remote reading tech cost and increased material cost. 

The general fund will cover the budget for general government, police and part of the public works and fire/EMS departments. The general government budget includes part-time or contract maintenance, filling the youth services director position and purchasing an administration fleet vehicle.

The police budget includes funding for building improvements and the purchase of a speed detection trailer. As for the fire/EMS department, funding from SPLOST VI will cover the purchase of a new ambulance. 

The public works budget will cover an increase in paving costs and more equipment, the latter of which will be funded by SPLOST VI. 

Due to increased costs across all goods and services, the following increases are recommended in the city budget: 

Water/sewer rate increase of 6 percent

Garbage rate increase of 2.9 percent 

Curbside trash collection $1.00 per month increase

The garbage rate increase is due to Amwaste’s contract being increased. 

Combined, the total increase for the average residential customer will be $2.90 per month. 

The city budget breakdown is available on the city of West Point’s website under the meeting agenda notes. The public hearings for the budget will be held on Nov. 11 and Nov. 26.