Budget talks reset

City department heads were asked to revise their budgets and establish priorities after the budgets presented at the Nov. 7 City Council Committee of the Whole meeting came in over anticipated revenue amounts.

A proposed Committee of the Whole meeting set for Tuesday, Nov. 29, was canceled and rescheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, as not all of the budget numbers were provided to the City Clerk in time for the proposed meeting, according to the email sent rescheduling the meeting.

The Dec. 13 meeting agenda includes discussion of the city’s 2023 budget and interviewing candidates for the City Council position.

Department heads’ requests initially totaled $17 million. Revised budgets decreased that to $16.5 million.

“If you take $5 million out for water, that’s $12 million,” City Clerk Sandy Button told city officials, explaining that in conferring with the city bookkeeper, only about $5 million is guaranteed in revenue. “That makes us $7 million short.”

She advised department heads to make sure salaries get paid, then operations and maintenance, and then, establish priorities for the remaining requests.

The amended budget draft dated Nov. 30, shows total receipts and expenditures of $16,512,745 for 2023, compared to $14,541,115 for 2022.

City general shows receipts anticipated for 2023 of $8,476,705.

Other departments’ budget proposals for 2023 are:

Police Dept. $1,871,442

Fire Dept. $2,082,100

City Park $450,000

Library $88,640

Sewer $1,465,400

Street Dept. $1,304,000

Water Dept. $3,423,000