OKC Outperforms Its Peers

Although noting that Oklahoma City is doing better financially than many of its peers, city manager Jim Couch told the City Council last week that the proposed budget for fiscal 2010 contains no raises for employees and no increases in municipal services.

The council is set to vote on the proposed $839.6 million budget in mid-June.

The city expects revenue to grow by only 0.5% in fiscal 2010, Couch said, far below the 4% increase needed to keep the government doing business at the current level. As a result, he said, departmental budgets — except police and fire — will be pared by 1%.

“This is a very positive budget message compared to what you are seeing in Atlanta or Austin or Kansas City or Phoenix or even as close as Tulsa,” Couch said at last week’s budget briefing.

Couch said officials expects to save $1.6 million next year due to lower fuel prices, but warned the council that a slowdown in the local energy economy as a result of a drop in oil and gas prices could endanger sales tax revenue.

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