[04/04/02]Vicksburg officials allocated carryover and reserve funds Wednesday to increase this year’s spending plan by $3.4 million.

Budget amendments that were approved also project that income from the city’s ambulance business will increase by $715,000 since the city contracted out collection of ambulance bills to a private firm.

Increased allocations went to health coverage and other personnel costs for employees plus capital projects.

Totaled, the amendments will take city spending up to about $50 million, including $17.5 million in bond money. In non-bond outlays, this year’s budget is now about $2 million more than the last budget of the Robert Walker administration.

Paul Rogers, the city’s strategic planner, said the city had $1.6 million in cash on hand remaining from the previous budget when the last budget year ended Sept. 30 and about $600,000 not allocated in the original budget approved on Sept. 4, Rogers said. The amendments assigned that money to expected costs.

The amendments, in addition to new ambulance revenue, also show $640,000 becoming available because a new fire truck was financed instead of purchased with cash as had been planned.

This is the second time the city has had to amend the budget this fiscal year. Added together, the two increases will bring the general fund budget from $25.8 million to $29.4 million without the bond money.

An additional $3.5 million is budgeted for capital improvement projects.

The biggest change to the budget in Wednesday’s amendment is in the administration’s budget with a total increase of $1.3 million. Increases there include $232.930 for personnel costs and $920,000 for capital items.

Rogers told the board a major change was caused by a decision by the board in December to absorb more of the cost of the health insurance program and increases in the cost of regular liability insurance and other insurance.

In other action, the board:

Approved the wording for a marker commemorating the CSS Arkansas and the $1,470 to pay for it. The marker honoring the Civil War Confederate ironclad will be placed near City Front.

Approved a modification of the memorandum of understanding for Beulah Cemetery. It will allow about $13,000 remaining from a $50,000 grant from the state to cut grass this year and add a 4-foot tall chain fence.

Approved an application for a grant from the Office of Highway Safety division of public safety planning to fund increased enforcement of seatbelt and child restraint laws.

Approved a contract with the Mississippi Fire Academy to send 10 to 15 people from the Vicksburg Fire Department for training at $265 per person April 8-12.