The Casper City Council on Thursday informally decided that the city's fiscal year 2006 budget would give a higher priority to city employees than it would several one-time projects.

Thanks to higher-than-expected sales tax revenue and two one-time allocations from the Wyoming State Legislature totaling $4.13 million, the city's preliminary fiscal year 2006 budget contained a general fund surplus of $3.8 million.

On Thursday, at the council's second fiscal year 2006 budget work session, the council's nine members got down to the business of allocating that $3.8 million.

With very little debate on the matter, the council decided to allocate nearly $800,000 of the surplus towards a 4 percent cost of living raise for nearly all city employees.

But the council did not stop there in its quest to enhance the pay of city employees.

At the urging of councilmembers Maury Daubin, Page Fagan, Lynne Whalen, Renee Burgess and Barb Peryam, the council decided to have the city conduct a wage survey sometime in the first half of fiscal year 2006.

The survey will gauge how well the city pays its employees relative to other regional municipalities as well as local private firms.

If the survey results show that there are areas within the city's organization where pay is well under what other public and private firms pay for similar services, the council informally decided Thursday to give extra mid-year raises to employees whose compensation has been behind the market norm.

To pay for these mid-year raises, the council allocated $900,000 of the $3.8 million surplus towards employee compensation. This $900,000 had been allocated towards one-time projects in the city's preliminary fiscal year 2006 budget (see list of unallocated one-time projects).

The projects that had their allocations stripped to pay for the raises have not been completely cut but merely put on hold, according to Peryam.

If it turns out the city is providing salaries in line with market norms, these projects could be placed back into the budget, she said.

Many of the one-time projects the council put on indefinite hold on Thursday are construction projects. And right now, it would be wise to hold off on doing all but the most necessary construction projects because work in that sector has become so costly as of late, Whalen said.

Although the majority of the council was in favor of conducting the wage survey and giving raises in areas where the survey showed deficiencies, Mayor Guy Padgett and councilmember Paul Bertoglio urged restraint when it came to increasing salaries.

The fact that the city has money to give raises this year is largely contingent upon one-time allocations from the state and there is no guarantee that the Legislature will again provide such funding for fiscal year 2007 and beyond, the two said. But when the city gives raises to its employees, those new wages will have to be paid again and again in the future, they added.

Even though the council took some allocations away from one-time projects on Thursday, it did allocate around $1.9 million of the $3.8 million surplus to one-time projects (see list of allocated one-time projects).

The council also allocated around $183,000 of the surplus to the creation of six new positions within the city's organization.

Because the council seemed to have resolved most of the issues pertaining to the city's fiscal year 2006 budget, it will not meet for a third budget work session that had been scheduled for Monday.

The council will, however, meet on June 21 to formally approve the budget. But before a final vote is taken on the budget, the public will be allowed to voice their opinions on the matter at a public hearing.

Staff writer Brendan Burke can be reached at (307) 266-0589 or Brendan.Burke@casperstartribune.net.

Allocated one-time projects

The following are one-time projects the Casper City council decided to allocate money towards in the city's fiscal year 2006 budget. Allocated dollar amounts are in parenthesis.

-Street paving ($500,000)

-Events Center updates ($250,000)

-Video cameras for police cars ($200,000)

-City Hall energy improvement project ($175,000)

-Recreation Center fire protection system ($150,000)

-Nicholayson Art Museum floor replacement ($50,000)

-Skateboard park safety improvements ($25,000)

-New skateboard park planning ($15,000)

-Disc golf course relocation and construction ($10,000)

Unallocated one-time projects

The following are one-time projects that were recommended for allocation in the city's preliminary fiscal year 2006 budget but were removed from the budget by the City Council on Thursday. Dollar amounts for the recommended allocations are in parenthesis.

-Construction of islands on East Second Street ($500,000)

-Park improvements ($100,000)

-Hogadon roof replacement ($84,000)

-Collins Drive and Kimball Street barrier replacement ($200,000)

-Fire view software ($30,000)

The council additionally removed $100,000 from its council goals budget. And $400,000 worth of park improvements that will be paid for with One Cent No. 12 money remained in the budget.