Cha-ching! Spending mounts up quickly even for a small city like Batesville.

- $25,000 for a police patrol car.

- $15,000 for grass seed, fertilizing and landscaping at Bill Gillespie Soccer Park.

- $96,000 for streetlights and electricity.

- $30,000 for salt and de-icer to clear icy roads.

- $12,000 for physicals for emergency medical technicians.

These are just a few examples of how it accumulates in a short period of time. The city’s projected expenses total an estimated $6.03 million for 2009, down from this year’s $6.13 million.

The city council members did not find it difficult to concentrate at a public hearing on the 2009 Batesville budget Aug. 18. Only Fire Chief Todd Schutte was in attendance voluntarily.

There was very little discussion as clerk-treasurer Ron Weigel highlighted the legal forms that must be given to the county and ultimately state officials before Mayor Rick Fledderman and five councilmen. Those numbers were based on budgets created by department heads, reviewed by the mayor, then submitted to Weigel.

“Every one of these budgets ... is over the maximum levy,” Weigel noted. “We don't want to advertise (budget dollars) low because ... you can't bring those numbers up.” Because the clerk-treasurer cannot determine 2009 assessed valuations of Ripley and Franklin counties yet, the budget “is all a big guesstimate. We know we’ll have to make cuts next year once rates are approved by the state.”

The administration would like to add at least three employees in new roles. In the budget at least for now are a city engineer at $75,000, Main Street director at $25,000 and code enforcement officer at $6,000.

Before the meeting, Weigel explained that even if the city hires a full-time engineer, other engineers with specific types of expertise, such as stormwater or sewer systems, may have to be consulted for specific projects. Fledderman pointed out the engineer’s salary perhaps could be shared with the Batesville Water & Gas Utility and Batesville Wastewater Treatment Plant. Weigel said, “I can pretty much assure you the city engineer budget will not fly for 2009.”

The code enforcement officer would assist Building Commissioner Tim Macyauski address concerns such as unmowed yards and also maybe stray dog complaints.

It appears the largest budget category is city streets at 25 percent. Three funds (Motor Vehicle Highway at $1.27 million, Street Department at $146,075 and Local Roads and Streets at $60,000) total $1.48 million.

The next largest chunk of money, 24 percent or $1.43 million, will go for police protection. About 86 percent of that budget goes for salaries and benefits of police officers and dispatchers.