Budget crunch hits public works

Published 4:17 pm Friday, September 30, 2011

With less than a week until the Demopolis City Council further reviews this fiscal year’s budget, some departments are already feeling the crunch.

Effective today, Oct. 1, the public works department will cut four days from its limb and rubbish curbside removal service.

“It’s an effort to reduce costs,” Public Works Director Mike Baker said. “To keep the vehicles parked and to save fuel.”

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Previously, public works patrolled the town five days per week, seeking out limbs and rubbish. Baker said now, it will likely only be on Thursdays and on a call-in basis.

“It needs to be later in the week so anything that put out early in the week doesn’t sit out over the weekend,” Baker said.

Residents are also welcome to call the public works office any day during the week and request a pick-up.

“We’ll take the call and put them on a list to be picked up,” Baker said. “We’re still going to get it up as quick as we can, we’ll just have to change how we go about it.”

The Demopolis City Council will meet Thursday to further consider this year’s budget. The city will start this fiscal year, which began Oct . 1, operating under last year’s budget until the council passes a new one.