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<br />Management Summary <br /> <br /> <br />In preparing the 2024 Budget, Staff continued its mission to maintain a high level of City services with <br />the use of financially conservative budgeting. The 2024 Budget resulted in a $503,708 increase over <br />last year’s levy amount, equating to a 5.8% levy increase. <br /> <br />General and HRA Funds <br /> <br />Each year the General Fund revenue and expenditure budget line items are examined for changes in <br />expected collections/charges, labor adjustments, changes in contract rates, insurance rates, utility <br />costs, usage of various materials or needs, etc. The findings of this examination produce the drivers <br />associated with the proposed 8.37% increase in the General Fund Levy equaling a $458,708 increase- <br />see below: <br /> <br />o Personnel costs – 70.9% of General Fund expenditures, overall costs up $353,945 or 5.71%. <br /> <br />o The 2024 base wage increase is based on the city’s Unions accepting a 3.5% COLA. Also, staff <br />retirements, pending retirements and resignations has mitigated the impact of COLA and other <br />wage or step adjustments. The net cost impact on reoccurring wage base is $64,170. Other <br />factors creating the additional $289,219 of costs are as follows: <br /> <br /> Wages and benefits of $249,845 were budgeted in 2023 as placeholders for two <br />fulltime fire fighters, in anticipation of a SAFER grant. The SAFER grant was not awarded <br />and these positions were not filled. The two firefighter positions were being phased <br />into the levy beginning in 2022. The plan at the time was if the SAFER grant was not <br />awarded there would be the levy capacity available to mitigate the levy impact of <br />adding a day time firefighter/Assistant Fire Chief (AFC) position. The levy capacity <br />available to support the AFC position in 2024 is $117,194 and the budgeted cost of the <br />AFC position is $132,651, assuming a 1/1/2024 start date. This results in a net impact of <br />$15,194 in 2024. <br /> <br /> The Police department budget includes restoring the Lieutenant position and adding a <br />VCET (Violent Crime Enforcement Teams) officer. These additions are scheduled to <br />occur at mid-year. The budget impact is $154,680. <br /> <br /> The Police introduced a Cadet program in 2023. The budget impact of the Cadet <br />program is projected to be $33,581 in 2024. <br /> <br />3