Gas prices put strain on city's budget
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on March 21, 2006 1:45 PM
Spiking gas costs aren't just affecting family budgets -- they are causing city officials to move around some dollars, too.
At the work session before their Monday meeting, Goldsboro City Council members learned that the increased prices of unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel are going to cost the city big -- $100,000.
General Services Director Joe Sawyer briefed the council on current wholesale prices, and how daily consumption by city vehicles is beginning to add up.
"The General Services Department is spending an average of $35,610.32 per month for gasoline," he said. "And we're spending another $19,545.39 per month for diesel."
Those expenditures include the fuel required to operate the city's fleet and vehicles for Gateway Transportation System, Wayne County Public Library and the Village of Walnut Creek.
"Wholesale prices for unleaded gasoline have gone over $2," Sawyer said. "An average of 5,500 gallons of gasoline and 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel is consumed weekly by these agencies and Goldsboro."
Sawyer added the amount of money needed to continue operation of these vehicles will exhaust funds allocated in the 2005-06 General Services budget. And so, he requested Monday that an additional $100,000 be allocated by the council -- enough money to keep the tanks full until the fiscal year ends in June.
During their meeting, council members voted unanimously to provide the necessary $100,000 to General Services.