It was budget and basketball for members of the Florala City Council as members approved a more than $1.09 million budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year and began preparations to establish a city youth basketball league.

“Overall, there’s not many changes from last year’s budget,” Mayor Robert Willi-amson said. “Rev-enue figures are based on sales tax collections from this year. The one major difference is that it does include a 5 percent cost of living adjustment for city employees.”

The budget also includes an estimated $1.2 million in revenue, and expenses include $461,975 for administrative costs; $47,650 at the public library; $15,600 at the Senior Center; $347,803 at the police department – $208,283 of which is designated for salaries; and $177,704 for the street department.

When City Recreational Board Member Jan Allred addressed the council, she said the board had made great progress on Williamson’s request to establish the youth basketball league.

“He said get to work, and I said it shall be done,” Allred said. “Our board members have worked very hard to get this paperwork in order so that our children will have the opportunity to play.”

While it is unknown when the league will be up and running, play will be held in the old Florala City Middle School gym.

“There was no sense in the building sitting empty,” Williamson said. “This basketball league is the perfect solution.”

Allred said board members have worked to create policy and procedures for the league, release of liability and codes of conduct for players and parents.

“This is going to be a place where people will act right,” she said.

Council members agreed the paperwork is to be forwarded to the city attorney for review before adopting it. Funding for the league comes in the form of an annual appropriation of $5,000 from the county commission to the County Recreation Board for use by the City of Florala youth sports programs.

In other business, the council:

• appropriated $300 for Christmas decorations.

• voted to contact the state department of transportation concerning the removal of the caution light on U.S. Hwy. 331.

• set rental rates for the FCMS building.

• approved a three-year business license collection contract for business license collections with RDS.

• held the first reading of an ordinance regarding a revision to the off-premise alcohol license, which would prohibit the sale of on-premise alcohol within 300 feet of a church or school and within 100 feet for an off-premise license. The Piggly Wiggly has applied for an off-premise wine licenses, Williamson said.

• voted to lease the old city hall building to Merrifield-Pilcher Realty for $500 per month.