2012 Fall Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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Meet your Hugo Hello, my name is Kevin Colvard and I am the new Fire Chief. I have been Fire Chief Kevin Colvard serving on the Fire Department since 2000. I have previously held the posi- tions of Deputy Chief for 1 1/2 years, Safety Captain for 2 years, and Training Captain for 7 years. I have an A.A.S. Degree in Fire Science. I am always impressed with the service our firefighters provide to the community. I feel the dedication our firefighters possess benefits the community immensely. A great example would be our response to the 2008 tornado, that event was truly remarkable. I intend on continuing the great service we provide. I live in Sweet Grass Meadows with my wife Kim and our dog Dakota. Our hobbies are scuba diving, cooking, and a little traveling. We are looking forward to starting a family soon. Submitted by Chief Colvard Mid -Year Budget Review 10 :....................................................: Hugo's eroperty Tax Levy Will Continue To Decline Economic challenges continue in 2012; however, residents of Hugo saw some positive news from the City's mid -year budget review. Hugo's prop- erty tax levy will decline by $210,000. "We will be able to reduce the tax levy and still provide the high level of service the community expects," notes Hugo Mayor Fran Miron. City Finance Director Ron Otkin's budget presentation at the September 4 City Council meeting called for a prelimi- nary 2013 tax levy of $4,749,083, which is a reduction of $210,500, or 4.24%, from the previous year. This will result in a balanced general fund budget and translates to a tax reduction of $39.77 on a median value home- stead. Otkin explained that there was a net surplus of $208,000 from 2012 that will be carried into the 2013 fiscal year. "This is primarily due to the budgeting techniques Hugo currently uses," he states. "We conservatively estimate our revenues and practice `contingency budgeting' for expendi- tures." This means planning for expen- ditures that may or may not occur. This usually leads to annual budget surpluses that can be added to Hugo's reserves or carried over to the follow- ing year. Otkin adds, "These tech- niques are also favorably looked upon by bond rating agencies." The public is invited to speak at the December 3 regular City Council meeting, held at 7:00 pm at City Hall, before the final budget and tax levy are adopted. Hot Tips from the Fire Department: Remember to clean your chim- ney before this burning season. Also, remember to use properly seasoned wood. Change your € smoke detector batteries every time you change your clocks.