Agenda Packets - 1987/07/27 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1987 LONG TrRM FINANCIAL PLAN Page Twenty -Six of homestead credits and reduced the amount of local government aids given to the City. Such actions by the State Legislature dramatically affect ! ' the City's ability to provide governmental services to residents, while keeping property tax levies to a minimum since property taxes and intergovernmental revenues account for 83.22% of the General Fund's revenue sources. As a consequence of the City's reliance on these two revenue sources to finance the majority of governmental services the City is very much affected by actions of the Legislature regarding property tax levy limitations and levels of intergovernmental aids. Other revenue sources used to finance governmental services are licenses and permits and charges for services. An annual review of the adequacy of licenses, permits and other fees is conducted. As result of such reviews fees have been increased. Such actions have lessened the City's reliance on property taxes and intergovernmental revenues. The City will continue to review fees and to seek other revenue sources. One area in which the City has worked to lessen reliance on the property taxes is Parks and Recreation. Recreation programming is accounted for in the Recreation Activity Fundo Over the past three years many costs which had formerly been supported r by property taxes and paid from the General Fund have been shifted to the Recreation Activity Fund. Such costs include personnel and materials and supplies expenses. In addition fees charged for various recreation programs have been increased. In doing so the City has sought to maintain a balance between the necessity to reduce reliance on property taxes and the affordability of recreation programs. Before further shifts of costs and/or increases of recreation fees are undertaken consideration should be given to maintaining this balance. A promising idea for development of City parks with non -tax revenues is the neighborhood park concept. The City has encouraged and supported establishment of private foundations which work toward improvement of their neighborhood parks through a matching funds program. The City matches funds raised by foundations for park. improvements. The first project under this program was undertaken in 1985 at Groveland Park. The City provided 501 of costs of installation of playground equipment and the Groveland Park Foundation provided the other 50%.