The Brundidge City Council passed the proposed $9 million FY 1011 budget Tuesday morning with only one change, a $1,000 allocation to the Pike County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).

Councilman Lawrence Bowden requested that the EMA be included in the city’s allocations because “the city benefits in many ways from the services of the EMA.”

The EMA was not included in the city’s previous allocations, none of which received increases in funding in the FY 2011 budget.

The budget did not include any employee raises. However, Mayor Jimmy Ramage said the hope of all council members is that by January 2011 funds may be available to provide some type of wage increases.

The total funds budgeted for FY 2011 were $9,253,621 and the city’s general fund debt has been paid out.

The expenditures set forth in the budget include the general fund, $2,702,697; special revenue, $141,200; utility fund, $6,344,744; and the debt service utility fund, $64,980.

Britt Thomas, city manager, said the city’s sales tax revenue was down 6 percent during FY 2010 and was down by 10 percent over the past two years.

The general fund is showing a surplus of $50,000, the utilities fund, a surplus of $140,00 and the special revenue fund, a surplus of $141,000, which is used for long-term commitment projects. The city’s surplus funds total $331,000.

In other business, Thomas said, beginning January 2011, Brundidge residents will experience a 4 percent increase in Power South utility usage. At the same time, the city is expecting its usage to decrease as the result of the installation of energy efficient LED lights on Main and East Troy Streets.

Thomas said lights have been installed along Main Street with the exception of the lamplights in the downtown area.

“We have received a partial shipment of the LED lights for the lamp lights and they will be installed but the others are on backorder,” he said.

The council also voted to pass along an increase in its residential garbage collection rates to its customers.

A first reading of the proposed garbage rates ordinance was held. Beginning Nov. 1, residential garbage rates will increase 18 cents per customer, from $11.50 to $11.68. That’s an annual increase of $2.16.

The council also voted to authorize a one-year line of credit at First National Bank at 3.25 percent in anticipation of any needed funds.