Paul Rignell
Columbus Reporter
Columbus City Council members have approved increases of 1.2 percent for the city’s general budget and levy in 2017, but their decisions did not come without debate at a meeting Dec. 14.
Though he voted with the full council for a higher levy, Councilman Jeff Duraine did not support the proposed total budget.broadstreet.zone(48036);
For starters, he pointed to another vote from earlier that evening when council members agreed to renew a contract for the city’s park maintenance and mowing work with a private lawn care company based in Lindstrom. The Columbus budget includes $12,900 for that service in 2017, and Duraine said the city likely could save some money in future years by directing its regular public works staff to take on those duties.
Duraine said he was also not in favor of budgeting more than $360,000 toward road paving and blacktop maintenance for the second consecutive year. A majority of
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