SPANISH Fort, Ala. — With 10 percent — or almost $625,000 — of the city’s projected $6.24 million in revenue for 2009-10 set aside in an emergency fund, the City Council will proceed in the coming weeks toward adoption of an operating budget of $5.3 million for fiscal year 2010.

The figures, introduced during Monday’s regular council meeting, are available for review at City Hall, and residents have two weeks to mull the projections before voicing concerns or support during an Oct. 19 public hearing at the Gathering Place.

“Spanish Fort is financially healthy, but we owe that to a history of conservative, sound financial decisions where we didn’t spend what we didn’t have, and this budget reflects a commitment to those same principles,” Mayor Joe Bonner said.

The city will close the current fiscal year with an estimated carryover of $886,000 and estimates expenditures in 2010 will total about $5.62 million, or about 14 percent less than the $6.56 million budgeted for fiscal year 2009.

“We’re still trying to be cautious,” Bonner said, noting the figures presented skew toward worst-case scenario whenever possible to help shield the city from unforeseen economic hiccups.

In fact, city coffers should yield enough revenue to continue investment in necessary infrastructure such as streets and drainage without sacrificing needed personnel or tentative plans to move forward with construction of a city complex expected to house a community center and library among other amenities.

In addition to budget issues, the council will also spend the next few weeks investigating the pros and cons of dueling plans for the extension of the Foley Beach Express as it pertains to Baldwin County Road 83.

City Attorney David Conner said Baldwin County has been considering a route for some time that would conclude between the second Bay Minette exit off Interstate 65 and Atmore, but the Alabama Department of Transportation has unveiled an alternate proposed route in the past 10 days that would carry the extension further east concluding at the Atmore exit.

Councilwoman Mary Brabner noted the recent ALDOT alternative would actually carry the route out of the county and into Escambia County, thereby, steering her support toward the Baldwin County Commission’s original route.

“I would just as soon wait until we have a chance to talk to some people,” District 2 Councilman Mike McMillan said.

Meanwhile, Bonner said officials have been invited to the council’s Oct. 19 work session to provide an update on improvements being made to the U.S. Highway 31 Corridor.

In other business, the council:

• Withdrew a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a memorandum of understanding for funding ratio for preliminary engineering of a project to install specific service signage (logo program) on Interstate 10, eastbound at Exit 35A and B. Upon further investigation, Bonner said the project appears cost prohibitive at the moment, but the city could certainly revisit the program that would erect food, lodging and service station logos at those locations in the future.

• Postponed until Oct. 19 a resolution authorizing the mayor to proceed with negotiations regarding the financing of needed public infrastructure for a proposed new retail development. City officials have confirmed Spanish Fort is in the hunt for a Publix Super Market, and a 6- to 7-acre site just north of Belk at the Eastern Shore Centre is being considered, but Monday’s illness of one of the developers involved in the project prompted postponement of the presentation and scheduled public hearing.

• Approved unanimously a resolution allowing the city to continue operating under the current budget until the new budget is approved.

• Approved unanimously a special events retail liquor license for Vino Nobile Investments Group LLC, doing business as Cellar 43, at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center for an on-site wine festival slated for Oct. 17.

The next regular meeting of the council will begin with a 5 p.m. work session in the conference room at City Hall on Oct. 19, followed immediately by the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gathering Place in the Prodisee Center.