and Ralph Nichols

Des Moines council members approved on a 4-3 vote Dec. 6 a $48.2 million city budget for 2008.

The city's operating budget accounts for $30.5 million of the spending plan, while $17.7 million will go to the capital budget.

Public safety represents almost a third of planned city expenditures-$9.5 million-with the Planning, Building and Public Works Department receiving another $8 million.

Although police department re-staffing under the voter passed property tax levy lid lift has been completed, the agency still is beefing up.

Initiative 695, which voters passed to cap license tab fees at $30, after state replacement funding dried up, hit Des Moines hard.

The budget is based on $4.36 million in property tax revenues, $2.8 million in sales tax receipts, $2.96 million from utility taxes, and $550,000 in business and occupancy (B&O) taxes, and additional sources, including building permits, development fees and state funds.

Des Moines' 2008 property tax was set at $1.50 per 1,000 valuation - down from $1.60 because of an increase in assessed valuation city wide.

Mayor Bob Sheckler and council members Susan White, Carmen Scott and Ed Pina voted for the budget, while Mayor Pro Tem Scott Thomasson and council members Dan Sherman and Dave Kaplan voted no.

Kaplan and Sherman had not approved additions to the budget that were made in recent weeks.

They suggested the budget as proposed contained additional items that the city would pay in years to come, although the money to support them next year was from one-time revenue sources.

"You really don't want your government to take risks with your money," Sherman said. "Businesses take risks, not local governments."

In the most recent draft of budget, funding for an assistant city manager and a lobbyist that will represent the city was added with a combined price tag of around $200,000.

If a lobbyist is successful in generating funding for the city from other government sources, then the position will be retained in 2009.

Other additions to the budget in the previous weeks totaled another $500,000.

"We used to have an assistant city manager but it was one of the positions we had to let go when we were in financial distress, which we are still in," Sherman said.

The problem Kaplan and Sherman see with new additions is that money being used to fund these late additions to the budget comes from one-time revenue sources, and may not be available to the city in future years.

"It's not a sustainable budget," Sherman said. "I can't support the budget on this basis.

These problems with the budget should have been fixed last year when they had the same issue arise while drafting the 2007 budget, he added.

"I think there are some improvements from last year's budget but I will not support it," Kaplan declared.

But other council members were more comfortable with the budget.

"I'm optimistic about our future," White said. "It's not (a) perfect (budget) but we don't take that many risks."

Scott approved the budget but also supports improvements in the process for next year.

"We have scrutinized every penny and if we didn't get through priorities this year then we should schedule them next year," Scott said. "I hope we can iron out the issues."