Seneca votes on new city budgets

First reading to new Seneca budgets last night at city hall, as the city council gave preliminary approval to projected spending, for all purposes, of $70 million.  Practically all of the 37-page presentation highlighted by the city administrator went smoothly, until the end.  The utilities budget of $48 million passed on a 5-4 vote, amid concerns over the water service base increase.  Councilmen Moore and Honeycutt addressed their concerns directly to the budgets’ presenter Scott Moulder, city administrator.  Councilman Honeycutt expressed worry over the impact on the city’s low income utility customers; Councilman Moore finished his two-page-long analysis by saying why is Seneca asking voters and other water users to cover the costs of electricity and supplement an increased electrical cost “and supplement increased electrical cost for (our) high-volume users vs. doing the cost-of-service increases.”