DECATUR - The Decatur City Council will continue to study today a proposed

$107 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Before the council pores over budget numbers in a study session, it will conduct a public hearing on the financial document.

"If a citizen has a comment or a question or wants to make suggestions, that would be the time to do it," Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus said.

Community members also could call city administrators with ideas or speak during public comment portions of council meetings, Tyus said. A copy of the budget is available for inspection in city administration offices in Decatur Civic Center.

The proposed budget of about $107.6 million reflects a sizeable increase over this fiscal year's budget of about $101.7 million.

About $5 million will be paid to the Decatur School District in July for land transformed into a retail center anchored by Target. City Manager Steve Garman expects medical insurance costs to surge more than $1.7 million in the upcoming fiscal year.

"Beyond that, we're really looking at the natural evolution of expenses and revenues," Garman said.

Garman has suggested if the council continues disciplined financial planning, it could examine rolling back one of the new taxes levied a few years ago in upcoming years.

Garman also proposes an emphasis on downtown redevelopment in the upcoming budget.

The council will vote today on whether to authorize the city to pursue the removal or repair of another 21 unsafe structures throughout the community.

The city already has drafted a list of 73 properties for possible demolition and has knocked down 26 unsafe structures.

About $500,000 was budgeted in this fiscal year's budget for demolition efforts, and city administrators suggest budgeting about $600,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.

"It's definitely a priority," Tyus said.

The council also is expected to vote on a contract with AFSCME Local 268. City and union leaders have worked to iron out an agreement since the old contract expired April 30 last year.

Under the proposed contract, union members would pay about $23 a month for dependent coverage - about the same monthly rate paid by the city's nonunion employees and police. Union members were paying nothing, according to the city.

The city also has offered 3 percent wage increases over each of the contract's two years.

The union voted to accept the proposed contract but was disappointed the city didn't investigate more options for insurance coverage, said Jerry Potts, AFSCME Local 268 vice president.

Mike Frazier can be reached at mfrazier@;herald-review.com or 421-7985.