The town is in the planning stage for the 2016 operating budget, and members of the Board of Trustees and department heads met on Aug. 5 to discuss goals and objectives for the next fiscal year.

The base budget so far is projecting $1.06 million in expenses and $1.097 million in revenues.

Sales taxes, the largest source of revenue for the town, are expected to be fairly consistent with last year, but officials won't have a completely accurate picture until October, said Town Clerk Heather Alvarez.

"I think we're looking pretty good this year. We're projecting some slight increases, but are expecting to be pretty much the same as we were last year," she said.

Each department's base budget for 2016 is also fairly consistent with previous year's, and some departments see slight budgetary decreases.

Notable expenses proposed in the total 2016 base budget include a 3 percent pay increase for town employees (2 percent cost of living and 1 percent merit), a 5 percent increase in health insurance costs, a 5 percent increase in electricity costs, and the hiring of an additional full-time water and wastewater treatment operator.

"The three percent increase for employees takes into account a cost of living increase. Electricity costs are going up, and we're again seeing our health insurance increase as we have more employees with family coverage," said Town Administrator Andrea Phillips.

At the Aug. 5 meeting, department heads also made presentations to the board on requests that were not included in the base budget that they would like to see funded.

Marshal John Cox is requesting that the town hire an additional deputy to provide his two-deputy department scheduling relief and better coverage for the town.

To fund the new deputy - a position that is projected to cost between $81,570 the first year for training and uniform expenses and $71,570 recurring annually - Cox is suggesting the town raise the marijuana transaction fee from $2 to $6.

"The fee now is $2. I say raise it to six bucks. Driving by those marijuana shops, I see an awful lot of out-of-state plates. If someone is coming out-of-state to buy pot, they're not going to know the difference between being charged $52 or $56. That could fund an officer right there," said Cox.

The reason behind the request is an increase number of calls for service, he said.

He cited 417 calls for service in 2012, 447 in 2013, 675 in 2014, and 425 calls in the first six months of 2015.

"We're dealing with a lot of people with lengthy criminal histories that are taking up a lot of our time," said Cox, noting that many people he and his deputies are encountering are from out of town. He also says there is a correlation between the uptick in service calls to the availability of marijuana within town limits.

"I've heard that because there's a cheap place to stay, and since some don't have driver's licenses, they can walk to the marijuana shops," said Cox. "I'm against marijuana because it eats up the mind. I don't think it's the worst thing in the world, but it is causing us problems."

Other notable departmental requests leasing a new patrol vehicle at $17,330 annually from the Mancos Marshal's office; leasing a used half-ton truck for the Parks and Recreation department, which currently has a 28-year-old truck; buying a 4-wheeler and trailer/plow for the Parks and Recreation department; and adding a 6-inch layer of road base to Riverside and Bauer avenues.

The proposed budget is slated to go to trustees for introduction by Oct. 15. Further discussions and workshops will be held throughout October and November after the third-quarter financial review.

The final budget must be adopted by Dec. 15.