MARYSVILLE — On Nov. 2, Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall released the city’s preliminary budget message for 2010, and city of Marysville Finance Director Sandy Langdon noted that the public hearing on the budget will take place at the Nov. 16 City Council meeting at City Hall at 7 p.m.

Kendall explained that the city had already reduced its budget by $4 million for 2009, including cuts in city-sponsored activities and cutbacks in general supplies. Five city employees took advantage of early retirement offers, but the city still had to lay off four other positions. Kendall added that city directors were asked to assume that no departments would receive new programs or additional staff.

While the city’s original 2009 budget was $140.8 million, Kendall outlined a 2010 preliminary budget of $113.8 million, with a general fund budget of $31.3 million, down 1.3 percent from 2009’s revised spending levels. In spite of cost-cutting measures such as delaying capital fleet vehicle purchases, Kendall sees it as necessary for the city to dip into its reserves enough to put them below the previous 8 percent rate against expenditures, with the use of these funds requiring a super-majority vote by the Council.

A separate Central Marysville Annexation budget has been prepared to gauge the public service needs for the addition of approximately 20,000 residents to Marysville’s existing population of 37,530. This budget is set at $3.3 million, derived primarily from a 0.1 percent state sales tax credit provided to the city for each addition of 10,000 to its population. These funds should help offset municipal services costs in the area to be annexed.

Langdon pointed out this sales tax money would come from the state’s share and not be an additional tax on the city’s citizens. The 2010 spending plan estimates a less than 1 percent increase in sales tax from the amended budget for 2009, holding steady at 2009’s revised estimates.

According to Kendall, the number-one priority for Marysville citizens has been to improve the city’s streets and traffic congestion.

“Due to the fact that the Street Fund is nearly depleted, I will be encouraging Council to take a look at all available funding sources to replenish this fund,” Kendall wrote.