MOUNT VERNON — City officials are in the process of filling the position of city engineer, but to do so will add a little over $38,000 more to this year’s budget.
According to Terry Scott, city auditor, the position was abolished in September 2004. Prior to actually hiring an engineer, he said, city council will have to vote to re-establish the position.
Since September 2004, engineering duties have been contracted out to Richland Engineering. In addition, Scott said Safety-Service Director Dave Glass has provided services for the engineering department at a rate of $250 a week.
According to Scott, from January through September 2004, the city spent $69,336.94 on the engineer’s position. That amount included wages and benefits. Had the position been filled the entire year, the city would have spent about $92,449.
In addition, the city paid Richland Engineering $10,721.50, for a total of $103,170.50 spent on engineering services in 2004.
In 2005, the city spent $17,030 for engineering services; $4,030 to Richland Engineering and $13,000 to Glass. In 2006, the number was $26,880 ($13,880 and $13,000, respectively.)
In 2007, the number increased to $53,550 ($40,550 and $13,000, respectively.) The amount paid to Richland Engineering increased because a representative from Richland Engineering came at least once a week, for a whole day.
In its budget meetings earlier this year, council appropriated $65,000 for the city engineer’s postion. According to Scott, benefits would add another 41.76 percent ($27,144), for a total of $92,144 a year for in-house enginering services.
Scott said that when a city engineer is hired, Glass will no longer receive the $250 a week.
Mayor Richard Mavis has said it’s critical to fill the city engineer’s position because other employees of the engineering department will be leaving in the near future due to retirement, and also because engineering issues can be dealt with on a daily basis rather than only one day a week when Richland Engineering is in town.