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The Winslow City Council hosted a public work session last week with the purpose of discussing the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2019-2020.
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According to City Manager John Barkley, the largest expenditures the city’s general fund will face this fiscal year are public safety related. The Winslow Police Department’s needs make up 43 percent of the fund’s expenses and the Winslow Fire Department, nine percent.
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There will also be increases in expenditures, the largest of which will be wastewater at $5.7 million and capital projects, which is projected at $4.6 million. Currently the overall budgeted expenditures will be greater than the projected revenues in 2019-2020 with revenues estimated at approximately $27.6 million and expenditures to exceed $31.2 million.
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Barkley explained that the largest contributors to the estimated $8.1 million general fund revenues are the city sales tax at nearly $3.4 million making up 42 percent and the state shared revenue at nearly 36 percent. “The state shared revenue is expected to increase this fiscal year, from $2.8 million last year, to $2.9 million this year. Also set to increase is the contribution from city charged fees and permits. We expect additional revenues in that category because there is more activity, more business interest in the city and we are looking to pull back the red tape and becoming more friendly to the business and home building community as they come to town. So, we are hoping that those revenues will increase by about $160,000 in the next fiscal year.”
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It was also noted that there is a projected decrease in bed tax funds from $150,000 to $140,000 and that city sales tax is down $200,000 over last year.
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Increased revenues include property taxes, going up from $398,512 to $405,000; and fees, permits and other revenues went up from $423,700 to $579,387.
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According to a presentation by the finance department’s budget analyst, Olivia Todd and its director, Elias Jouen, two accounting changes have taken place this budget season. The first, is the separation of the parks and facilities departments to better track the revenues and expenditures in either department. The second, is the separation of federal, state and other grants from the general funds into their own category. This change is to ensure the co-mingling of grant monies is avoided in all departments. Both changes reflect in the proposed city-wide budget.
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Barkley continued. “We still have some steps to take in this budget process. We encourage anyone who is interested to stop by City Hall to take a look at the budget book. It is available for public viewing.”
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The budget discussion will continue during the May 28 Winslow City Council meeting where the tentative adoption will take place. The final budget adoption will take place on June 25.
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City Hall is located at 21 N. Williamson Ave. The Winslow City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28, in the council chambers, located at 115 E. Second Street.
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