The Andalusia City Council adopted a fiscal year 2010-2011 budget Tuesday night that is $200,000 less than last year’s budget.

The $12.5 million budget includes $11,299,860 in expenditures and $1,255,540 in contingency funds. State law requires cities to hold funds in contingency.

Last year, the city budgeted $11.42 million in expenditures, and amended that budget Tuesday night to add an additional $741,376 in expenses.

Mayor Earl Johnson explained that $121,981 of those expenses were for the administration of the city court. Most recently, the city was able to capitalize on court fees that had accumulated over several years and didn’t have to fund court operations out of its cash budget.

The amendment also included a $75,000 appropriation to Bright Beginnings and $39,995 for Kirkpatrick Park. Most of the expenditures in the budget amendment had been previously approved by council vote.

Johnson said the revenue projections used for the new fiscal year were “very lean.”

The budget resolution states that no vacant positions will be filled without approval of the mayor; instructs department heads to approve overtime only when necessary; and that departmental expenditures shouldn’t exceed those authorized by the budget.