Madison budgets $3M for road improvements

Madison residents can expect road improvements citywide in 2021 with extensive improvements slated for the Post Oak and North Place subdivisions under a new city budget.

The Fire Department will purchase a new truck and department heads have been allotted funds for raises.

The Madison Mayor and Board of Aldermen approved the Fiscal Year 2021 budget last month. Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler said that the budget contains roughly $3 million for street improvements.

“We are looking at major street improvements including almost the entirety of North Place and a lot of Post Oak,” Hawkins Butler said. “Three million is a lot of street and this is long overdue. We look forward to getting these streets paved.”

Another goal for the budget was to offer raises citywide. Hawkins Butler said that money was budgeted to offer raises to be appropriated by department heads. She said city employees can expect between a two- to five-percent rise in the new fiscal year.

FY 2021 will go another year without raising taxes. Hawkins Butler said that the last time taxes in the city changed was about 20 years ago when rates were adjusted down. 

Budget projections expect to pull in $29,389,821 in revenues and have a beginning general fund balance of $5,846,868 for an approximate total funds available of $35,236,689.

They expect to spend a total of $29,359,193 with a projected general fund balance of $5,877,497 at the end of 2021, adding about $30,629 to the general fund over the course of the fiscal year.