Fort Oglethorpe city manager Ron Goulart has presented his proposed 2013 budget.

For the third year in a row there will be a $575,000 surplus from estimated city profits available to be applied to the city's overall balanced budget.

The city’s budget year begins Jan. 1, and Goulart has to present his proposed budget to the council 90 days prior.

This year $376,370 of the surplus will be applied to the budget, while the remainder ($198,630) will go into the city's reserves. The $376,370 is $151,198 more than was applied to the 2012 budget, but $173,459 less than in 2011.

The city’s 2013 budget is set at $13,559,394, a reduction of $134,054 from the 2012 budget of $13,693,448.

The council will hold three budget readings, with the first one scheduled for Sept. 10. The other readings will be held Sept. 24 and Oct. 8. At the Sept. 24 reading, which will be held before the council meeting, the public can ask questions and/or raise concerns regarding the budget. The council is expected to adopt the budget following the Oct. 8 reading.

According to Goulart, a property tax hike isn’t needed to fund the proposed budget. There is indeed an increase in revenue of $332,738 with the proposed budget, he said. But that comes from the increase in franchise fees for North Georgia Electric Membership Corp. and an increase in insurance premium taxes, he said.

Special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) funds will see a decrease of $18,083 in expenditures, down from $1,622,000 in 2012 to $1,603,917 for the new budget year.

Water and sewer revenue for 2013 will be down $35,692, from $4,390,009 in 2012 to $4,425,701 for 2013.

2013 BUDGET SUMMARY FOR CITY OF FORT OGLETHORPE

Revenue

General fund: $6,643776

Special revenue: $1,739,917

Fiduciary funds: $750,000

Water and sewer: $4,425,701

Total: $13,559,394

Expenditures

Legislative: $100,141

Executive: $312,940

Administration: $952,973

Judicial: $484,288

Police: $2,328,457

Fire: $1,171,880

Public works: $1,455,936

Parks and recreation: $514,934

Historic Preservation Commission: $1,000

Housing, development, zoning: $131,227

Sub-total: $7,453,776

Special revenue expenditures: $1,679,917

Water and sewer: $4,425,701

Total: $13,559,394