Published: May 28, 2008 08:29 am      

City budget up 9.5 percent

The 2008-2009 fiscal year budget for the city of Richmond received its first reading Tuesday by the city commission, but will not officially be voted on until the next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at City Hall.

The $23,834,080 general fund is a 9.5 percent increase from last year, said Richmond City Manager David Evans.

One of the biggest changes in this year’s budget is the health insurance for city employees, which will be switched from Anthem to United Health Care.

If the city remained with Anthem, employees would be faced with a 14 percent increase in the cost of insurance. By changing to United Health Care, employees will only see a 4 percent increase.

The commission adopted an order Tuesday to officially make the change. Employees will pay $311.99 per month for single coverage.

The commission also voted to enter into a contract with Jefferson-Pilot for life insurance and long-term disability coverage.

The yearly premium for employees will be $15,789 and long-term disability insurance coverage will have an annual premium of $32,787.

In other business:

• A bid for Richmond Fire Department equipment upgrades in the amount of $135,115 was awarded to the Louisville-based Orr Safety.

• A bid for the paving of various city streets was awarded to the Winchester-based Allen Co. in the amount of $43.75 per ton for base and $44.75 per ton surface.

• Richmond-based Baldwin & Associates was chosen to perform the audit of the general-purpose financial statements for the city at a cost of $22,500.

• Richmond-based Craft, Noble and Co. was chosen to audit the general-purpose financial statements of the Richmond, Water, Gas and Sewerage for a cost of $16,755.

• An order was adopted that will allow the city to donate to the White Hall State Historic Shrine a box of historic documents that include three copies of wills written by Cassius M. Clay for proper conservation and display.

• Lisa Cassidy was hired as program coordinator for the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department; Michael Cavalcante and Charles Smith were hired as seasonal summer employees for the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department; John C. Stone was hired as a seasonal park security worker for the city; Greg Hendrix was hired as a temporary park security worker; and Randall Webb was transferred from seasonal to full-time status in the parks and recreation department.

• The commission recognized the retirement of Charles Denny from the Gibson Bay Golf Course Maintenance team.

• Michelle McBrayer was reappointed to the city’s Architectural Review Board.

• More than 2,000 people visited Paradise Cove at Gibson Bay over the holiday weekend, according to Erin Moore, director of the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department. There were 435 visitors on Saturday, 809 on Sunday and 933 on Monday, she said.

A total of 401 season passes already have been sold for the aquatic center’s first season.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.