(KAIR)--The city of Atchison has approved a budget for 2016.

That follows a public hearing during Monday afternoon's meeting of the City Commission that drew no comments from the public.

City Finance Director Becky Anderson says that state law dictates that a budget much be adopted, and money cannot be spent in the coming year unless funds are appropriated, and the city cannot spend any more than what is appropriated per fund.

She says that overall, taxes and the mill levy included in the budget look favorable. “Earlier in the year, when we were discussing mill levy, we thought there would be slight increase in property taxes...its actually a slight decrease because we were looking at the estimated valuation at last year at this time, and is what we were comparing to. But our valuation in November of last year was higher than the estimate, so our estimated valuation is actually lower than the November estimate. So what we have budgeted is slightly less property taxes...Sales tax has been low. We are running about two percent behind in sales tax. We budgeted for a one percent increase over next year.”

Anderson says the capital outlay plan included in the budget for 2016 was also approved. “We look pretty decent. In out years we've got some issues with funding some of the larger projects. We do the sharing with the state on U.S.73, the state highways through the KLINK program...that's not looking good in out years. We are going to have to figure out some funding sources for those projects if we are going to continue to share in the costs of maintaining those state highways...we've got some mill and overlay budgeted in 2018 that would have to come through a bond issue. We are not really at a good point even come 2018 to issue additional debt without additional revenue.”

The proposed 2016 goals for the city, including pursuing aggressive marketing of the community, rehabilitation of dilapidated housing, and continuing to make ADA improvements in the city were also approved.

The vote to approve the budget was 3-2, with Commissioners Larry Purcell and Charlie Perdue casting the no votes.