Sean C. Morgan
The City of Sweet Home Budget Committee approved a budget for 2014-15 Monday evening following a week spent reviewing the proposed budget.
Voting in favor of the budget were Jim Gourley, Marybeth Angulo, Craig Fentiman, Bruce Hobbs, Andew Allen, Stefanie Gatchell, Zach Lincoln, Gerritt Schaffer and Leanna West.
Dave Trask voted against the budget because it carries forward funding for construction of a water filling station at the Public Works facility off 24th Avenue. He opposes the project.
The water filling station was included in the current year’s budget, 2013-14, but the city did not start the project, which is identified among projects in an emergency management and mitigation plan necessary for the city to apply for funds from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency following an emergency.
Public Works Director Mike Adams said the project would cost about $135,000 based on the latest estimates. Funding is derived from capital reserves and systems development charges.
The Budget Committee reviewed the police and library budget proposals on May 5 and Public Works budget proposals on May 7 and General Fund on Monday.
Next, the City Council must adopt a budget for fiscal 2014-15 by June 30, the end of fiscal 2013-14.
Sweet Home Police Department will remain in a financial “crisis mode” due to insufficient property tax revenue, Police Chief Jeff Lynn told city Budget Committee members last week.
All operational line items have been cut back to the absolute minimum in the Sweet Home Police Department’s proposed 2014-15 budget, Lynn said.
“The Sweet Home Police Department will continue to operate in a fiscal crisis mode,” Lynn said in the proposal.
The Police Department proposes a $2.56 million budget, up from $2.38 million, an increase of a little more than $180,000.
A portion of the total is an additional $150,000 in budgeted carry over into the following budget year, 2015-16. It budgeted a carryover of $134,000 from this year into 2014-15 and is proposing to carryover $282,000 into 2015-16. Actual carryover from 2013-14 into 2015-16 is budgeted at $564,000 based on savings during the current budget.
Revenues are bolstered by a $547,000 transfer from the General Fund to offset decreasing property tax revenues. The city anticipates $1.35 million property tax revenue in 2014-15, down from $1.38 million in 2013-14.
The Police Department will begin a reserve program this year to help augment patrol operations, Lynn said. Reserve officers will be volunteers who are committed to the betterment of the community. The program will start with three interested and qualified individuals during the first year and then expand to a maximum of 10.
Expenses associated with the reserve program are included in the budget.
Last year, the department’s dispatch center handled 15,028 calls. The department is currently at full staff, with one officer in training.
Also last year, the department assumed code enforcement responsibilities for the city, a half-time position. The department also replaced 12 computers that were still running Windows XP, which Microsoft quit supporting in April.
Other elements of the budget include:
n The Sweet Home Public Library proposes a decreasing budget, from $359,000 to $352,000. Personnel costs will increase from $149,000 to $170,000, reflecting the addition of a part-time librarian. The budget begins with $86,000 carried over from 2013-14, down from $114,000.
n The Street Maintenance Fund, which is fueled by the state gas tax, will increase from $617,000 to $649,000. The money is used to complete construction, improvements and maintenance of the city’s streets.
n The Water Fund, which provides water service to Sweet Home residents, increases from $1.96 million to $2 million. Water user fees will need to increase from $1.59 million to $1.75 million. Revenue from cash carryover from the 2013-14 budget is $243,000 down from $358,000 in the beginning of 2013-14 The city will carry forward just $3,120 into 2015-16.
n Personnel costs increase from $652,000 in 2013-14 to $661,000 in 2014-15.
n The Wastewater Fund decreases from $2.44 million to $2.33 million. User fees increase from $1.82 million to $2.3 million. Cash carryover from 2013-14 is just $19,600, down from $622,000 at the beginning of 2013-14. The fund will carry forward $59,000 to 2015-16.
n Personnel costs remain at $583,000. Treatment plant and system maintenance costs increase from $616,000 to $633,000, while debt service decreases from $1.03 million to $881,000.
n The General Fund, which includes most city functions outside of law enforcement, library and Public Works, will increase from $3.32 million to $3.66 million. It will begin 2014-15 with 1.6 million carried over from the current year, up from a beginning fund balance of $1.3 million this year, 2013-14.
n Property taxes to the General Fund incerase from $483,000 to $488,000.
n After transferring $547,000 to the Police Department, the fund is budgeted for a $919,000 ending fund balance to carry over into the 2015-16 budget.
n General Fund Expenditures will relatively unchanged except in the Community Development Department, which decreases from $251,000 to $199,000, reflecting a decision not to hire a new department director following the retirement of Carol Lewis last summer.
n The budget boosts its usual $10,000 contribution to public transit to $17,200, which City Manager Craig Martin said will leverage some $45,000 in grant funds that will allow the Sweet Home Senior Center to add a “deviated fixed route” to its Dial-A-Bus program on July 1.
n The General Fund also includes $9,000 in support for the BMX track improvement project at Upper Sankey Park spearheaded volunteer James Goble.