As promised at recent meetings, the Dallas City Council on Monday approved a balanced $4,188,764 fiscal year 2010 budget that anticipates declining revenues while holding the tax millage rate the same.

There were no constituent comments during the public hearing on the proposal to maintain the current 3.79 mill tax rate for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.

With Councilman Griffin White absent, the council unanimously approved the 2009 Paulding County tax digest, the new budget and the millage rate.

The new budget projects property tax revenues of $1,132,409, a very conservative estimate considering the $1,627,185 budgeted for 2009 and $1,616,954 actually collected. As the city and its municipal court caseload grow, fine and forfeiture revenues are estimated at $334,300, up considerably from the $253,300 budgeted in FY09 and $307,573 collected.

General sales and use taxes are budgeted at $1,234,817, down from the FY09 budgeted amount of $1.3 million and $1,338,534 actually received. Business taxes are budgeted at $382,787, selective sales and use taxes are estimated at $214,643, rents and royalties are estimated at $80,000 and $567,112 from general fund surpluses in previous years will balance the budget.

The budget takes into account the city has lost $47,500 it received in the past fiscal year from the General Assembly’s Homeowner Tax Relief Grant, which is no longer being funded by the state.

Police expenses comprise the budget’s major costs at $1,533,633, less than the $1,723,449 budgeted in FY09 and $1,463,665 actually spent. Other major line items are $850,600 for the Street Department, $697,677 for administration, $451,850 for Dallas Theatre, $135,350 for Municipal Court, $183,250 for the mayor and city council and $103,750 for parks.

The general fund budget’s capital expenses are $32,500 for administration, $35,000 for the Civic Center and $4,000 for the theater.

Special purpose local option sales tax is expected to generate $803,234, plus $15,000 in interest revenues, to fund $500,000 in street projects, $87,500 in police expenses and $61,000 for parks, a total of $648,500, leaving a SPLOST surplus of $169,934 to be carried over into FY2011.

Upon the recommendation of City Manager Kendall Smith, the council voted to spend about $750 annually for off-site computer backup of city administration and police data. The vote for the disaster recovery plan was unanimous, as were all council decisions Monday.

The council also voted to outsource water billing as the county has done. Smith said Dallas has “had problems with postcards [water bills] getting lost” and added that outsourcing will save about half of an employee’s day.

“Our water bills have no room to correspond with citizens,” Smith told the council, adding that the city can include inserts with the water bills and return envelopes for 6 cents each. The cost will be about $600 monthly, “but we’ll get a lot more out of it,” said the city manager.

Officials said the city plans to offer on-line bill-paying next year. “We’re all for going paperless,” said Smith.

The council approved an agreement and rate schedule for an on-call engineer with Woodard and Curran, which operates Dallas sewage treatment facilities, and established a code enforcement policy and schedule of penalties for municipal code violations. Other action included first reading of an amendment to the animal control ordinance that will confer animal control authority on that county department.

The council voted to buy a 2010 Ford Expedition for the city manager and reassign other vehicles so the code enforcement officer has a 4-wheel drive and an older car is returned to the Police Department to serve as a spare.

Smith said the newly enclosed pavilion at Sara Babb Park “is ready to rent” and that the park’s swimming pool closes this weekend. He said the pool’s salt-water purification system “is working great” and saving teenagers serving as lifeguards from having to handle chemicals.

“We’ve put a good bit of money into [the pool],” said Smith, “and it’s making us money.”

He said six companies submitted prequalification information to secure the city’s solid waste business, “but none filled in every item.” So the city didn’t open the bids, he said, and Dallas will ask again for RFPs (requests for proposals) while Waste Industries continues to provide interim service.

Mayor Boyd Austin proclaimed Sept. 16 as American Legion Day in the city, and the council agreed to street closings from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10 for the Paulding Fine Arts Association’s annual fall festival and 5:30 p.m. closings for homecoming parades of South Paulding and Paulding County high schools Sept. 16 and Oct. 1, respectively.

The council tabled the second reading and adoption of a code enforcement ordinance.

Police Chief Scott Halter said a $58,000 grant for K-9 and other police equipment has arrived. Halter also said he has been approached by the safety director of Georgia Highlands College about making a crosswalk on S. Johnston Street.

Theater Manager Lenay Walker reminded the council about the silent auction and Christian comedy show Sept. 26 that will raise money for theater-produced plays next year.