UPDATED 2/10/12

A midyear review of the $76 million fiscal 2012 budget, requested by District 6 City Councilwoman Karen Meinzen McEnerny in May when the city of Sandy Springs switched from one government services provider to five, revealed the adjustments necessary to stay balanced.

“There are no major anomalies, save one,” City Manager John McDonough said Tuesday at City Hall.

The sole deviation from normal budget reports was in general fund expenditures by department.

“The big one that pays the bills and provides the funds for day-to-day operations is the general fund,” McDonough said. “This is the first year we’ve broken out to any level of detail the government services budget. It had been a lump sum for five years.”

About $25 million had been paid annually to Englewood, Colo.-based CH2M Hill for providing government services under a public/private partnership.

A $1 million contingency fund, also new in fiscal 2012, was established to smooth the transition and pay for unforeseen expenses.

For example, the general administration fund posted a $156,000 increase in costs.

McDonough said it was due to higher costs for AT&T trunk lines delivering telephone and Internet access to City Hall and the four city fire stations.

“That is the largest surprise we found in the fiscal 2012 budget,” McDonough said.

A $558,000 uptick in costs for recreation and parks, managed by Pasadena, Calif.-based vendor Jacobs Engineering, was created by its assumption in August of the Hammond Park gymnasium responsibilities but offset by an extra $500,000 in facility rental income.

McDonough said the changes can be taken in stride.

“The bottom line is your adopted fiscal 2012 $76 million general fund is a balanced budget,” he said. “Our revenues are on target. Our expenses are a little lower than we had budgeted.”

Meinzen McEnerny asked if the community development department, managed by Planners Collaborative, can increase its head count for more oversight over residential building permit applications.

“I was told they were inspecting commercial [applications] but didn’t have the staff to do all the inspections on residential. Look for additional savings to hire a residential building inspector,” she said.

District 1 City Councilman John Paulson agreed.

“This need for preinspection and site survey [work] is warranted,” he said.

Budget recommendations will be made in May.