Mayor Scott Fadness plans to present his 2016 budget proposal to the City Council at the September 21st meeting (7pm). After the mayor finishes, the public will be given an opportunity to comment in a public hearing. The spending plan calls for just under $70 million of expenditures next year.
You can access the budget document at this link.
Fadness asked his department heads to keep their personnel at current levels for 2016. However, the mayor decided two additional police officers will be added in June of 2016, as well as one more full-time position in the police intelligence unit. He also is recommending adding one Parks Department laborer to help deal with added parks that will be ready soon, including the massive Flat Fork Creek facility now under construction near 101st Street and Florida Road.
According to the mayor, the city’s part of the property tax rate in 2016 will be just over 63 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, up from last year’s 62 cents, but the same as the 2014 rate. The 2015 rate dipped only because debt scheduled to come online in 2015 was delayed, resulting in the slightly lower rate this year. The city’s assessed valuation rose by 3.2%, according to city figures. Fadness says one of his priorities is to “mitigate the tax risk” for city residents.
The city plans to make some purchases next year from the capital account. All city ambulances will have new cardiac units installed, featuring real-time telemetry allowing hospital staff to see patient data as soon as paramedics arrive on the scene, at a cost of $400,000. The mayor says there will be two new fire engines as part of next year’s budget.
The mayor expects city employee health insurance rates to remain the same, but out-of-pocket deductible costs may rise in 2016.
The mayor says this is a balanced budget with $300,000 in cash reserves.
The city has a transportation plan 3 pages long with several areas set for work next year. The listing begins on Page 80 of the budget document at this link. $1 million is earmarked for road maintenance, which the mayor says is not nearly enough. He plans to be studying how to better fund this need with his staff and members of the city council.
The mayor said the sewer fees paid by city residents are much lower than any nearby community. The rate has not changed in 20 years. Fadness expects to begin the process soon to request a $5 increase in that fee. This is not part of the budget process, but is another procedure prescribed by state law, which will include a public hearing. There is a need to upgrade the waste water treatment plant and the pipes going in and out of the facility.
There is a deficit in the stormwater fund, mainly due to about 20% of the fees not being collected. The mayor does not foresee an increase in this fee now, but plans to watch the budget and work on collecting money owed to the fund.
The salary ordinance will also be a part of the budget up for consideration, and City Council Vice President John Weingardt says there will be no pay increase next year for any elected officials.