SAN BENITO — The city is proposing a $12.8 million general fund budget that includes employee pay raises.
The draft plan comes with a $4.2 million cash reserve fund capable of running the city for 120 days in case of an emergency.
The proposed budget is about $146,000 fatter than the current $12.7 million budget.
City Manager Manuel De La Rosa has proposed the property tax rate remain at 72 cents per $100 valuation.
This year, he is proposing giving employees 2 percent pay increases.
The current budget gave employees 2.5 percent pay raises.
Meanwhile, De La Rosa plans to hire two workers to maintain the city’s parks and two technicians to work at the $17 million-water plant the city plans to reopen next year.
Public safety topped the biggest expenditures. That includes $3.6 million proposed for the police department and $2.2 million earmarked for the fire department.
The plan includes $1.8 million proposed for street maintenance, slightly less than the current budget’s expenditures.
The city plans to hold workshops to allow city commissioners to review the budget proposal
