Fuel budgets running on empty City, schools wrangle with rising costs for vehicles, heating By Mike Pound Globe Staff Writer

If the price of fuel is starting to give you distress, take heart. City officials and school administrators in the area feel your pain.

But then again, because tax dollars are involved, their pain ultimately will be added to your pain.

The Joplin City Council recently had to adjust its fiscal 1999-2000 fuel budget by $40,000 because of the dramatic increase in fuel costs over the past several months.

The 2000-2001 budget, which goes into effect Nov. 1, calls for increases in fuel budgets in every department.

The street maintenance departmentBs fuel oil and diesel budget alone will jump 38 percent, going from $34,000 last year to $47,000 in 2000-2001.

Harold McCoy, public works director, said the city makes every effort to account for fluctuating fuel costs at budget time, but itBs impossible to make accurate predictions.

BReally what you have to do is look at what you spent and try to read ahead a little bit, and do the best you can,B he said.

And, McCoy said, because petroleum is a major ingredient of asphalt, the city probably will see increased costs next spring and summer as a number of street paving projects get under way.

But, McCoy said itBs unlikely his department will be forced to curtail services in the near future.

BWe might be looking at ways to reduce our usage and make sure we are operating as efficiently as possible, but I donBt see us changing our level of service,B he said.

In the Police Department, the budget for fuel in the patrol division has been increased by 43 percent, jumping from $42,000 to $60,000.

Police Chief Ed Dennis said while rising gasoline prices do cause some budget concerns, itBs important not to overreact to price increases.

He said during the oil crisis in the 1970s, many communities began switching from traditional police vehicles to more fuel-efficient cars.

BMany went to Chevy Impalas with six-cylinder engines,B he said. BBut they then found themselves with increased maintenance cost and increased accident cost, and they found many of the cars they purchased wouldnBt go more than 50 miles an hour. So, they wound up spending more money than they saved on gas.B

Dennis said because of the demand placed on police vehicles, itBs difficult to make fuel economy a priority when looking to buy cars.

But, like McCoy, he said there are some things the department can do to reduce fuel consumption, like shutting off vehicles when they are parked or looking for ways to reduce unnecessary trips.

Dennis said there are no plans to reduce patrols or to curtail normal police services.

In Webb City, Lorinda Southard, city clerk, said several city departments have exceeded their fuel budgets.

She said the public works department will finish the fiscal year on Oct. 31 about $3,000 over budget.

Both the police and water departments are on pace to finish the year $2,000 over budget, she said.

BAll you can do is guess,B Southard said. BWe look at last year and try to plan accordingly. We did put extra in the upcoming budget based on what weBre seeing now.B

Toby Bottom, assistant superintendent of the Webb City School District, said rising natural-gas prices also will have an impact on budget plans.

Missouri Gas Energy has proposed charging $6.99 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas, an increase of 67 percent over the $4.17 per 1,000 cubic feet it charged last winter.

The Missouri Public Service Commission is expected to rule on the utilityBs proposal later this month.

The Webb City School District has budgeted $100,000 this year for natural gas. That is a 33 percent increase over the $75,000 the district spent last year.

Couple that with the transportation costs, Bottom said, and the district is looking at significant fuel expenses.

Bottom said there arenBt many areas where the district can cut back.

BFor us, it is what it is,B he said. BNow I will tell you that when school is not in session, we either donBt heat or cool buildings that arenBt in use.B

But, he said, school buses have to run, and buildings have to be heated and cooled, so rising fuel prices are a cost of doing business

http://www.joplinglobe.com/001026/regional/story2.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 26, 2000