The Carmel City Council took its first public look at the proposed 2019 budget during two workshops last week.
The proposed $149 million budget represents a 6.4 percent increase from the 2018 budget and includes 3 percent cost of living raises for most city employees.
The city’s tax rate is expected to remain at 79 cents per $100 of assessed value.
“The reason the city can increase the budget without increasing rates is based on growth we continue to experience,” city spokesman Dan McFeely said.
Highlights include:
- Five additional police officers
- Additional street department maintenance operations
- IT upgrades for community services
- $125,000 in seed money to launch an international film festival
- $20,000 for new furniture and furniture repairs in the mayor’s office
- $50,000 for the Carmel Fund community initiative, a matching grant program through Legacy Fund
- 5 percent increase for the arts over 2018
- $28,000 to contract with the Carmel Clay Historical Society for photo archiving services
- $25,000 increase for mental health services for police officers, including counseling and a mentorship program
- 12 new vehicles and a new salt truck for the street department
- Two new part-time employees for the fire department
State law requires that the budget be approved by Nov. 1. The council is likely to schedule a public hearing on the budget in October.
