(KTNC) - The Falls City, City Council, approved the 2012-2013 Budget and set the property tax levy during Monday’s meeting.
 City Administrator Gary Jorn explained that the levy for the city is basically unchanged from last year, at 46-point-68 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.  (play audio  :21)
 There is also a 2.95-cent levy for the Airport Authority, bringing the total levy to 49-point-63 cents.  The total tax request is $565,164 based on total valuation of just over 121-million dollars.
 Jorn said it’s basically a conservative budget with the largest increase being a 25-percent jump in health insurance premiums.  All other expenditures saw a three-percent increase, and Jorn said the city did eliminate some capital expenditures from this year’s budget.  The council unanimously approved the budget and the levy after a public hearing.
 In other business, the council approved a request from the Board of Public Works to purchase a Digger Derrick Truck from Altec Industries at a cost of $178,666.  Altec submitted the only bid for the truck.
 The council approved another request from the Board of Public Works to purchase a one-ton truck for the gas company.  The council approved the low bid of $35,763 from Hullman’s Ford for the truck, which will replace the current half-ton truck now in use.
 The council approved the bid from Miller-Monroe Company for property, liability, and worker’s comp insurance at a total cost of $228,334.
 And the council, on a 5-2 vote, approved the final reading of an ordinance that will expand the hours that alcohol can be sold in Falls City on Sundays.  The current ordinance allows alcohol sales beginning at noon on Sunday.  The revised ordinance will allow alcohol to be sold beginning at 9:00 a.m.  Council members Kirby Robidoux and Judy Murphy voted against the ordinance.  Council president Jerry Oliver was absent Monday night.