The Town Council approved its $41.6 million budget proposal for the 2013-14 fiscal year with little discussion and no public comment at its June 20 meeting.

The council broke from its regular session to convene a special session and a public hearing on the budget plan.

After several months of discussion on the proposal, council members had no further comment or questions. There was also no one in the public audience wanting to talk about the budget.

The proposal includes $13.1 million for the General Fund and $19.2 million for capital projects. Other budgeted expenditures include $6 million from special revenue funds, $2.5 million in debt service funds and $658,000 from internal service funds.

The council also gave separate approval to several budget items in which there was some discussion and not unanimous agreement.

The council addressed five professional services agreements totaling $265,940.

Those agreements include Business Advisors LLC for management of JumpStartBiz business incubator ($4,500); Extended Hands Food Bank ($24,200); Chamber of Commerce Tourism Bureau ($103,000); Fountain Hills Theater ($70,240); and Boys & Girls Club ($64,000).

These contracts are for services that the town wants to provide but does not have the available resources.

The council gave its unanimous consent to the JumpStartBiz, food bank and tourism agreements; however, Mayor Linda Kavanagh and Councilman Cecil Yates voted against the agreements for the theater and the Boys & Girls Club.

Councilwoman Ginny Dickey did not vote on the theater agreement as her sister is the theater’s executive director.

The council consent agenda for the evening included agreements to implement the town’s pavement management program.

Those agreements total $2 million and include Pavement Markings, Inc. $88,000 for striping; Nesbitt Contracting, $906,000 for asphalt replacement and miscellaneous work; Southwest Slurry Seal, $820,000 for slurry seal; Cactus Asphalt, $186,000 for crack sealing.

Prosecutor

The council also voted to amend a proposed contract for Town Prosecutor Mark Iacovino.

The budget had proposed $110,000 for those legal services.

Vice Mayor Tait Elkie, an attorney, said a three-year trend of fewer cases prompted him to suggest a reduction in the amount to $80,000 for Iacovino.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh opposed Elkie’s initiative. She said the council has had considerable discussion regarding the services of the prosecutor and called it unfair to reduce the amount at the 11th hour.

She also said Iacovino has expanded his work load in Fountain Hills to include work with the drug coalition and students.

“He has done what we asked in good faith,” Kavanagh said. “I just don’t see basing this on caseload; that could set a difficult precedent.”

Councilman Henry Leger said he has noticed that cases have been going down significantly and he noted that the town has in fact reduced public defender services for that reason.

Elkie also said the town has a record of Iacovino receiving increases based on case load.

Ultimately the council voted 4-3 to reduce the amount to $90,000 for the year.

Elkie, Leger, Dickey and Councilman Dennis Brown voted for the reduction. Kavanagh, Councilman Cecil Yates and Councilwoman Cassie Hansen opposed.

The change will also alter the prosecutor’s agreement to a two-year schedule staggered with the contract with the town magistrate.