City-owned buildings in need of repairs are to blame for more than 40 percent of a $48,425 increase in Junction City’s 2017-18 budget, according to city officials who held the first reading of the proposed budget Thursday.

Building repairs are budgeted at $24,000 — six times the current year’s amount of $4,000. 

“You never know what’s going to go wrong,” City Clerk Susan Music said.

Music said the increase is because of the age of four city buildings: the one that houses city hall and fire department; the one with the police station and Sweets By Cindy; the post office; and the community center.

Music said the roof on city hall is in bad shape and one of the buildings has a furnace in need of repairs.

The total proposed budget is $860,125. That’s up from the current budget of $811,700.

General expenditures are expected to be $285,111 for the 2017-2018 year, up from $277,510 in the 2016-2017 year. That includes an increase of $3,000 for the mayor and council; and a decrease of $3,000 in attorney costs.

The proposed police department budget is $215,150, up from $211,700 in the current budget.

The proposed fire department budget is $50,440, up from the current budget of $35,550. The city increased the equipment budget from $10,000 to $20,500, which includes the yearly $10,500 in state aid funding for the fire department; and an added line item for repairs and maintenance totaling $4,500. The reason for the increase, according to Music, is the age of the city’s fire truck.

Municipal aid expenditures are expected to increase to $189,424, up by $21,484 from the current year. That includes a $2,000 increase in contractual services, including exterminator services, carpet cleaning, the cost of someone to fill in as city clerk from time to time and street paving; a $5,000 increase in miscellaneous expenses, to cover tool repair; and a $10,500 increase in repairs and maintenance, to cover the costs of other older equipment repairs in the city.

Junction City Council could pass the budget with a second reading during its next meeting, 7 p.m. June 8.