SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The City Council passed its proposed $5.62 million budget for fiscal year 2010 in a 5-to-1 vote during Monday’s regular meeting with District 1 Councilman Dennis Dismuke casting the lone dissenting vote.

Dismuke raised concerns that based on his calculations, the city’s proposed budget as written estimates expenditures for 2010 will exceed actual expenses during 2009 by 11 percent. In turn, he urged the council to “back up and take a more conservative approach.”

“I don’t see how we can budget that high in this current economy…We need to be more fiscally conservative,” Dismuke said during the work session — which at moments became heated — prior to the regular meeting and vote.

Citing a 15 percent carryover from the 2009 budget, however, District 2 Councilman Mike McMillan said he is “very comfortable” with the figures presented in the budget, and District 4 Councilman Tom Sawyer applauded Mayor Joe Bonner for the “exhaustive process” undertaken to draft the operating budget.

“This is a very conservative budget, and if the math is done right, we’re on track knowing we can adjust midstream if we need to,” Sawyer said.

Dismuke’s concern centers on the fact that the budget balances with zero contingency funds available for unforeseen financial hardship, and he takes particular exception to the city spending 11 percent more in 2010 than it did in 2009.

McMillan, Sawyer and District 5 Councilwoman Mary Brabner all pointed out during the work session, however, that the city’s $886,000 surplus from 2009 allows for additional spending.

City Clerk Mary Lynn Williams also noted during the work session that the expenditures in question involve the hiring and benefits packages for two new police officers as well as anticipated expenses associated with the city moving toward establishing its own dispatch services rather than relying on the city of Daphne for those services.

In addition, 10 percent — or almost $625,000 — of the city’s projected $6.24 million in revenue for 2009-10 is automatically set aside in an emergency fund toward episodes of Hurricane Katrina proportions, Bonner said.

And Bonner is also adamant that the operating budget exists only as a guide that can be altered throughout the year as revenue trends begin to emerge. For example, projects such as road resurfacing and recreation improvements will not be started until the funds for completion of those projects are in the bank, he said.

“I’m not going to ask you to spend money until we have a clear picture that it’s here or at least en route,” Bonner said.

In other business the council:

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on Nov. 2, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodiee Center.