The City Council voted unanimously to approve an $11.7 million budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year on Monday.

The budget represents a $1.5 million increase over last year’s $10.2 million budget.

&uot;I continue to be very excited about the great things that are and will be happening in our community,&uot; Mayor Dexter McLendon said. &uot;I feel this is a good operating budget, and I’m very confident and positive about our goals for the coming year.&uot;

The budget includes $3.5 million in grant dollars that will be used to finish the airport construction project and construct two access roads for two new industries – HwaShin and Hysco.

The budget also includes two new expenditures: $2,000 for the Department of Human Resources and $10,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Center.

Increases from last year include $1,500 to the Organized Community Action Program, $5,000 to YMCA utilities and $21,000 to the Capital Improvement Fund for street light improvements.

Other increases were necessary for city employee health insurance costs. Single coverage increased by $18, and family coverage jumped by $86.

The council also increased employee pay by 5 percent for those who haven’t reached their pay scale cap.

It also voted to supplement the Retiree Health Insurance Fund with $8,000 to ensure the fund’s growth.

The city will conduct a citywide paving project during this fiscal year. The council approved $150,000 from the general fund and $125,000 from the gasoline tax fund to finance the project.

The budget also contains $21,000 for the upcoming 2004 city elections.

Other matters approved by the council during the meeting were:

Ordinance 2003-12 – approved to amend the zoning ordinance of the city of Greenville as petitioned by the Snellgrove Family Partnership L.P. to rezone certain property on Sherling Lake Road from C-3 zone to R-1 zone.

Resolution 2003-86 – ratified acceptance of a change order for the Merchant Bond Issue Administrator agreement. The amount increased from $7.50 per thousand to $8 per thousand.

Resolution 2003-87 – approved the 2002 cost of living adjustment for city retirees, effective Oct.1, 2003. The increase will be $4,517 per year.

Resolution 2003-88 – approved the dedication of Phase IV streets in the Woodland Heights subdivision.

The City Council also voted to renew the FY2003-04 contracts with: city’s airport manager – Travis Capps; prisoner housing – Butler County and the Butler County Sheriff for an annual sum of $50,000; pound services – Butler County; veterinary services – Watson’s Animal Clinic; County Emergency Services (E-911); Butler County Commission for Economic Development; Area Chamber of Commerce; Main Street Inc; polygraph services – Gerald Carter and Associates; and computer hardware maintenance – Greenlynk Technologies.

The Council also approved the payment of $1,820 to Sweet Computers for the fire department’s software support contract; $1,382.84 to Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center for the police department’s information center quarterly fee; $1,876 to L.V. Stabler Hospital for medical services for prisoner Martin Darrel on September 9; $1,155 to Action Targets for permanent mobile targets for police department firing range; $3,416.35 to Southern Sand and Gravel for 207 tons of riprap for erosion control between airport runway and new airport road; and $2,952.19 to APAC for 83.75 tons of asphalt for repairs to Norman Road, Industrial Boulevard and Industrial Park.

The Council will also open bids for the Interstate 65 frontage road at 2 p.m. at City Hall on October 22.