The new fiscal year will have barely started when Wichita Falls city councilors must consider budget adjustments caused by inflation. Paying more than budgeted for two expensive pieces of equipment is on the agenda at Tuesday's council meeting.

The city began saving money over the past year to buy a new trash compactor for the landfill. Just over $1,000,000 was budgeted to buy the equipment, which looks like a huge dozer. After councilors passed the new budget Sept. 6, city staff learned the price of the compactor went up by $347,840, the vendor blaming the increase on the rising cost of steel, shipping and freight.

The city staff recommends coughing up the extra cash because one of the city's two existing compactors has been out of service for nine months and the second one has been down more than two months, forcing landfill workers to use regular dozers and rack up 270 hours in overtime.

Councilors must also consider allocating an extra $17,000 for a new street sweeper that was originally budgeted for $310,000.

Council members will also hand out portions of the $29 million windfall it got from the federal government's Rescue Plan Act. The biggest ticket item will be $1,500,00 to go to local nonprofits that lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic. A five-person panel consisting of two council members, a local foundation representative and two Midwestern State University groups will advise the council on which organizations should get the money.

Another $250,000 in ARPA money will go to the local arts community and $173,800 will be allocated to renovate bathrooms at the Wichita Falls City-County Health District.

In other business, councilors will: