Thoroughly cleaning Cheney's budget

For City Administrator Mark Schuller and Finance Director Cindy Niemeier, Cheney's $6.728 million 2015 General Fund budget may be one of the most reviewed and scrubbed general fund budgets ever done.

"The red pencil was out," Niemeier said of a budget that, while not reflecting a drastic financial situation for the city, doesn't leave much leeway for other things either.

Schuller said it's a very "realistic" balanced budget, reflecting the current condition of the city's revenue streams while also acknowledging challenges faced by several departments, such as police and fire where paying neede...