The city's financial emergency has eased enough to give departmental union employees a portion of the negotiated clothing allowance for the year.
The Connersville Board of Works and Safety approved Monday permitting 25 percent of the annual clothing allowance be paid to the employees following a recommendation by Mayor Leonard Urban.
Each department has a different clothing allowance ranging from $1,300 for the police department to $400 for the street, park, transfer station and the motor vehicle highway fund.
Clerk-Treasurer Julie Greeson presented figures to the members of the city's projected income and expenses through the remainder of the year.
The balance sheet showed that with the general fund balance in place as of Nov. 3, the city would have an income of $2,015,490 and expenses of $1,541,912, leaving a balance of $473,578. When considering the city has taken a $382,716 advanced draw, that would leave a balance of $90,863. A 25 percent clothing allowance would cost $19,775, leaving a balance of $71,088.
Urban froze spending for overtime and clothing allowances in March due to the financial emergency.
"I met with the unions and told them we wouild try to do that," he said. "It sill allows us to end the year in the black. They would like to have all of it, but that's an impossibility because we will only have a $71,000 balance (with the 25 percent). All the other benefits are being paid."
The city will receive its property tax draw in late December, which is not included in the figures.
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