By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

Despite receiving heavy attention in recent weeks, Florence’s budget hearing Friday lasted 10 minutes.

Councilman Matt Williams’ motion to approve the budget passed on a 3-0 vote with councilman Trayce Warner absent.

Williams and councilman Ken Hoffman exchanged a few words but it was city clerk Janet Robinson who spoke to the council as a whole. She mentioned there had been questions about the budget at previous meetings, and asked community members if they had anything to add.

Treasurer Mary Jane Grimmett asked why the general fund had increased to $345,000 in the revised budget. In the proposed budget, the general fund was $295,000.

Mayor Bob Gayle said $50,000 was transferred from water reserve, $50,000 from capital improvement, and $50,000 from the sewer reserve fund. No reason was given for the change.

The council remains in negotiations with the DeForest family, owners of the city’s water source, Crystal Springs. For that reason, the budget has no line item for eminent domain or a new water lease.

After the budget passed, Gayle answered a question from an earlier meeting about the worth of a mill on the tax levy. One mill generates $1,632 for the city.