The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Thursday approved a $30.17 million operating budget for fiscal 2016 projecting a $15,611 year-end surplus and no property tax increase.

It is about $2.1 million more than the initial fiscal 2016 $28.07 million operating budget city officials proposed at an Aug. 27 public hearing that included a more than $500,000 deficit

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said the budget approved by the board was the result of work by the city’s budget oversight committee, which met several times between Aug. 27 and Thursday’s meeting.

“In my opinion, I think this is the most responsible budget I think in the three years that we’ve voted on,” he said. “This is a budget without tax increases, without furloughs and without layoffs, and we haven’t cut (employee) benefits

The budget projects total revenues of $43.27 million and expenses of $43.26 million, which include several one-time funds and expenses for one-time projects, but those one-time projects were separated from the budget to reach the city’s true operating budget.

City Accounting Director Doug Whittington said the one-time money (both revenues and expenses) was placed on a separate funding list that was not considered for the overall general fund budget.

Included were the $9.02 million capital improvements bond issue, a $1.3 million Mississippi Development Authority loan for the Wisconsin Avenue/North Frontage Road connector which was carried over from fiscal 2015, and $1.5 million from the city’s $1.9 million 2014 surplus, which is also designated for one-time expenses.

He said the remaining $400,000 would be held in reserve.

There is also $1.2 million in remaining 2007 bond money that is also a carry over from 2015 and designated for repair projects at the Vicksburg Convention Center this fiscal year.

“The bottom line, we were trying to get to was true operating revenues and operating expenses,” Whittington said. To qualify for the one-time lists, he said, the money had to be for projects and items that would last over a 20-year life span, such as capital improvements and grant matching funds.

He said, however, money for the city’s lease-purchase agreements for vehicles and equipment was included in the general fund budget, because they were recurring expenses.

According to a breakdown of the proposed budget’s revenue stream, property tax revenue totals $8.5 million with sales taxes expected to bring $7.7 million.

The departments getting the most funding include:

• Police: $7.04 million.

• Fire department: $7.15 million.

• Ambulance: $2.49 million.

• Administration: $6.04 million.

• Street department: $7.60 million.

• Right of way: $1.2 million.

• Recreation: $3.51 million.

• Convention Center: $2.18 million.