By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Alabaster’s fiscal year 2016 budget includes funding for financing 10 new Chevrolet Tahoe police cruisers, merit raises for some employees, a pair of new city employees, public works equipment and parks and recreation facility improvements, according to city leaders.

The Alabaster City Council voted unanimously during its Sept. 28 meeting to accept the 2016 budget, which was constructed with “a lot of work and a lot of time by our Mayor (Marty Handlon) and City Manager (George Henry),” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Sophie Martin.

The general fund budget includes more than $25.9 million in revenues, and lays out a little more than $25.8 million in expenses, leaving $120,579 more revenues than expenses. The numbers mark an increase from the 2015 fiscal year budget, which included $25.5 million in revenues and $25.1 million in expenses.

Handlon said Alabaster will finish the 2015 fiscal year about 5 percent above its budgeted revenues after it pays what it owes in business tax incentives, and said the 2016 budget will meet several city needs.

“It includes the purchase of needed equipment that we’ve been putting off, it will help with health insurance costs to employees and it will allow us to put $300,000 in our capital savings plan,” Handlon said. “We will fill a couple of positions that went unfilled in the recession that we now need just because of our growth.”

The general fund budget includes funding to finance 10 police Tahoes, funding to hire a city building inspector and one Fire Department training officer and will allow the city to purchase two vehicles for inspection purposes, public works equipment and vehicles and parks and recreation vehicles and equipment.

The budget includes funding to make facility improvements at parks and recreation facilities, will allow merit raises for eligible employees and will help offset a hike in employee health insurance premiums.

“Health insurance premiums are set to increase 7 percent for the upcoming year, and the budget helps to offset that increase,” said Ward 2 Councilman Bob Hicks. “Now, the split is 70-30 (percent).”

The council also voted to approve the 2016 fiscal year sewer fund budget, which includes $6.38 million in revenue and $6.3 million in expenses, and garbage fund budget, which includes $2.02 million in revenues and $2.01 million in expenses.