The Sweet Springs Board of Alderman held a public hearing Wednesday, March 26, to answer resident's questions about the 2008-2009 city budget and then approved the $2.29 million budget.

"I am glad you're getting the budget done," said Raymond Kinney, who is running unopposed for Sweet Springs mayor in April.

"Me too," Mayor Roxanne Hinton said.

Kinney asked the council if they budgeted enough funds to repair a fire truck.

"We budget quite a bit because the fleet is old," Hinton said. The fire department's budget is $39,795. City Clerk Ronda Nienhueser said she estimated the department will use at least $35,000, which gives it a little leeway in case of an emergency.

This year the department had to scrape up money for inspection and maintenance on two pumper trucks late in the budget year, prepaying $2,500 in order to get a mechanic to come from out of town to do the work.

Kinney also asked how much longer the city will be paying on one of the fire trucks. Hinton said she thought the payment plan was for seven years. Nienhueser said they had two or three more years to pay on the fire truck.

Tonya Winfrey asked if the council was planning to raise pool rates again after they were raised last summer.

Hinton said the pool board has not met to determine if rates will be raised. Nienhueser suggestion by the city clerk and nothing has been finalized.

In the regular part of the meeting, the board approved the 2008-2009 budget. Revenues for the general fund are expected to be slightly less than in the 2007-2008 budget.

No wage increases were included in the new budget. There will be money for three full-time and one part-time police officers, and two street department workers in the summer, one in the winter.

Alderman Lewis Bybee made the motion to approve the budget and Alderwoman Vivian Wiley seconded it. Alderman Jim Lindemann joined them in voting in support of the motion; Alderwoman Billie Clevenger was not present.

The board also approved paying the $17,692.61 worth of bills before the end of the fiscal year.

Contact Rachel Harper at marshallcity@socket.net