By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

VINCENT – The Vincent Town Council discussed a $566,650 proposed budget during an Oct. 2 work session.

Mayor Ray McAllister announced the Shelby County Health Department, which is funded by the state, will be consolidating its office in Pelham and removing the medical facility from the Vincent office by Oct. 31. The health department paid $1,000 per month to rent the 3,300-square-foot building located at 131 Florey Street, McAllister said.

“We’ve got to try to decide what to do with that building. Do we keep it medical, rent it out or have the city use it for something?” McAllister asked the council.

The council decided to discuss the issue during the next Town Council meeting Oct. 16.

The council then discussed the town’s solid waste budget.

“With the cost of equipment, fuel, dump fees and everything that goes with it, and with everything we’re receiving as income, it’s hard to break even,” McAllister said.

The city paid $7,000 during the past year to purchase tires and repair one of the solid waste trucks.

The proposed budget does not include a community clean up day due to the town’s “tight budget,” McAllister said.

“I would like to see that happen again. The public really appreciates it,” Town Council member Mary Lee Reynolds said.

McAllister said the municipal court had $252,193 unpaid fines this fiscal year and only $242,153 unpaid fines in 2011.

“We’ve gained $10,000 in unpaid fines and there’s nothing we can do about it,” McAllister said.

The proposed budget allotted the Vincent Volunteer Fire Department the same basic budget as the previous fiscal year.

The town’s park budget will cover upcoming capital expenditures, such as exercise equipment and new fencing.

The proposed park budget is about $74,000, with $23,000 of the budget for planned capital expenditures for the municipal park.

The only change in the proposed budget decided during the meeting was doubling the beautification budget from $300 to $600. Town Council member Bridgette Jordan-Smith requested extra funding to plant crepe myrtle trees downtown.

In terms of the general budget, McAllister said the town had a “phenomenal year with sales tax,” with an additional $9,000 in ad valorem taxes during the past year.