Photo by Erin Nelson.
The former Sheepdog Firearms location on Deerfoot Parkway undergoes renovations to be suited as the new training facility for the Trussville Police Department on Dec. 2.
The Trussville City Council in September approved its city budget for fiscal 2022.
The $41 million budget is the largest budget the city has ever approved and is more than $2 million greater than the fiscal 2021 amended budget.
The budget includes a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for city employees and the continuation of longevity pay for eligible city employees. There are budgeted items for new city vehicles for various departments, police equipment, other needed equipment and more.
On the same date the City Council approved the budget, it approved an ordinance issuing a $2.45 million general obligation warrant to acquire, renovate and develop a new facility for Trussville Police Department operations. The facility is the former Sheepdog Firearms on Deerfoot Parkway, which closed in March after four years in business.
The large budget comes as Trussville continues to grow. The 2020 U.S. Census showed Trussville with a population of 26,123, a 31% increase since 2010.
“The numbers that were released were a little higher than I thought they would be but not surprising,” Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat recently said. “We all realize that Trussville has been and continues to be a destination choice for a lot of people and businesses. Our investment in public safety, quality of life, schools, and infrastructure makes Trussville appealing for people to live, work, and raise their families. As we continue to plan for the future, we have to recognize the fact that we now have an expectation to live up to, and I know myself and our [City Council] realize it.”
Census figures affect Trussville’s funding in a big way for the next decade. Gasoline tax funds, including the state’s 10-cent gas tax, are based on Trussville’s census count for the next 10 years. Internet sales tax is distributed on a population basis from the census count. Capital improvement funds and other funds from the state are allocated by census population. Businesses use census data to determine where to build offices, stores and industrial facilities.
Census statistics are also the basis for federal dollars and grant funding, including programs such as Medicaid; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; the National School Lunch Program; and Head Start.
Each person counted generates nearly $1,600 in federal funding for Alabama and its communities.
The fiscal 2022 budget can be reviewed at https://trussville.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/1-FY2022-Budget.pdf
