1995-12-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF NEW BRIGHTON Pursuant to notice thereof, a Truth in Taxation hearing of the New Brighton City Council was held Thursday, December 7, 1995, at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building, 803 Fifth Avenue NW. Present: Mayor Benke, Councilmembers Gunderman, Larson, Samuelson and Williams. Absent: None Also Present: Margaret Egan, Finance Director Matthew Fulton, City Manager Public Hearin~ Benke explained that the purpose of the Truth in Taxation Hearing is to address the official statement of City services to be provided in 1996, and the tinancial strategy used to pay for these services. Final action on the budget will take place on December 19. City Manager Matt Fulton said the proposed 1996 Annual Budget would be $12,805,300 which is a 2.10 % increase over the 1995 budget. The City's tax levy will increase by 4 %; approximately half of the increase stated on the Truth in Taxation notices. Service enhancements include: addition of 2.5 positions in the Police Department to increase manpower and provide staffIng for a School Liaison Officer; senior services expanded to include congregate dining; drug testing and employee assistance to comply with Federal regulations; Silver Lake Road street lighting costs; and conversion of Fire Marshal position to contractual service. Because New Brighton is a fully developed city, it is anticipated that there will be a decline of $100,000 in building permit revenues. This revenue will need to be acquired from other sources such as the property tax levy. The City continues to be concerned and aware of municipal aid impacts by State and Federal Governments which could have a negative impact on revenue. Although, it is anticipated that stable revenues from those sources will be adequate in 1996. Finance Director Margaret Egan explained that the budget process begins in May and concludes in December. The process starts with the Five Year Plan which projects general service needs and future costs. The Annual Budget is a detailed statement based on information from the Five Year Plan. This approach results in quality decisions to promote stability and efficiency. In 1996, it is proposed that $1,559,000 will be needed to provide capital improvement projects to be performed in parks, street reconstruction, sidewalk system development, and public facility renovation. The two major groupings within the budget are the General FundlDebt Service and the Enterprise Fund. The General Fund includes: General Administration, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Public Works, Capital and Debt Installment, Water, Sewer, Golf Course, and the Driving Range. The General Fund is the largest portion of the budget and totals $8,017,500. Sources for the General Fund are derived from: property taxes - 34 %, state aids - 20 %, reserves - 13 %, and customer charges - 33 %. Reserves are primarily from interest earnings. The Enterprise Fund totals $4,787,800, and is exclusively fmanced by customer charges. Customer charges are derived from building permits, engineering fees, park and recreation program, and the Family Service Center (FSC). Public Hearin2" Truth in Taxation Report 95-229