By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“Relatively routine without a lot of shiny things” is how Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty described the draft 2020 budget to city commissioners Tuesday night.

Kicking off a 40 minute review with the commission, Dougherty noted “the budget is balanced, the mill levy is maintained at 25, and we are not adding any employees this year.”

This will be the 10th year the number of full-time Hays city employees has remained at 181.

“We have expanded the scope of what we do and our reach, but we’ve kept the employees the same,” said Dougherty.

The 2020 budget contains a programmed step and cost of living increase for all city employees.

Total assessed valuation for the city of Hays is up 1.6%.

Sales tax revenues, which make up most of the city’s general fund, are projected to be up 3% this year. A 1% increase is budgeted for 2020.

The proposed 2020 budget is $41,916,819 compared to the 2019 budget of $39,504,844.

The city commission met Tuesday instead of Thursday which is the July 4 holiday.

Further discussion of the 2020 budget will continue at the July 18 work session. The July 11 meeting has been canceled.