The Linden City Council approved the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget. The city’s revenue is expected to be just under $1.8 million. The budget allows for approximately $1.7 million, leaving a difference of $77,050 in restricted funds. At the meeting, two different budgets were presented, one with a 2 percent raise for municipal employees and one without. The council accepted the budget that included the raise.

The council also approved the lights and poles at Scott Park to be replaced for approximately $100,000 minimum, based on an estimate provided by Public Works Director Terry Tyson.

Tyson initially approached the council asking if he should move forward the project, which the mayor recommended that he did, but said that it would ultimately be up to the council. Tyson informed the council that the state would require concrete or steel be used in the replacement. He also said that the Public Works Department will do as much work on their own as possible.

“We’re going to try to do some of it ourselves, but just to be honest with you, there’s a lot of it we’re just not capable of doing,” he said.

After the council’s unanimous approval, he said that he would bring forward “real numbers” at the next meeting.

“There’s going to be some estimates because we’re going to do some of it ourselves, but we will know pretty much our cost 100 percent,” Tyson said.

Secretary to the Council Bruce Ward asked if Tyson would go to the county for financial assistance and if he would wait to do some work until business licenses start coming in by January. Tyson said yes to both questions. He also said he would go to the Marengo County Parks and Recreation Department about the project.

Other items discussed by the council include the following:

• denying permission for a resident to add power to a property on Tolbert Street so he could build a utility house.

• Moore announced that the City of Linden was awarded a grant for ChiLLyFest from Ala-Tom RC&D Council for $2,000. Earlier this year, the city was also awarded a $2,500 grant from Alabama 200 for ChiLLyFest. The mayor thanked Ward, who applied for both grants, for his efforts.

• discussing the start of alcohol sales on Sunday at noon. City Attorney Woody Dinning said that the resolution, which was previously approved at a June meeting, would need to go the state legislature in Montgomery, which will not meet until early 2019, before becoming law.

• during the Sept. 4 meeting, the city council approved the placement of a street light on Prowell Street. between Seventh and Eighth Avenue. On Sept. 18, Ward estimated that the light would be placed within “the next week or two.”

The Linden City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in city hall.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, September 22 issue of the Demopolis Times.)