Council moves forward with FY’18 budget

     The Monticello City Council held a budget work session on Saturday afternoon, with the goal of finalizing the city’s departmental appropriations and setting the city tax rate.

     The proposed budget was unanimously approved, with the city appropriating $120,000 to the Monticello Public Library. The tax rate will remain the same as the last fiscal year: $13.86897.

     The city’s tax rate is made up of three separate taxes: General Fund Levy, Debt Service Levy, and Employee Benefits Levy.

     The Monticello Library Board approached the council with a financial ask of $125,000, with most of the money going toward staff wage increases and benefits.

     “With our staff, I’m trying to get our employees’ wages up to a livable level,” said Library Director Michelle Turnis. The library employs two full-time and three part-time employees.

     Turnis is also the lowest paid city department head; however, City Administrator Doug Herman commented that you couldn’t compare the salaries of each city employee.

     In hiring two full-time Parks and Recreation employees, a director at $48,000 and a superintendent at $40,000, the city proposes a $55,000 increase to that department’s budget from the previous fiscal year. Herman noted a huge chunk of that is additional wages, as well as $10,000 for LED lighting and another $10,000 for other capital improvements.

     Turnis asked if the city wanted to expand the Parks and Rec budget to allow for more programming opportunities, the library also offers programming. The main difference, as the council pointed out, is that Parks and Rec can charge for its programming; the library is a free service.

     “A lot of departments are cutting where they can,” suggested Council member Brian Wolken.

     Council member Dave Goedken asked the library to look hard at its hours to decide whether it’s necessary to be open until 8 p.m. versus 7 p.m.

     “I have a good staff and would like to keep my staff,” prodded Turnis. “Not everybody can do this job, and the library contributes well to the community as an asset.”

     For the city’s overall budget, Fiscal Year 2018 proposed revenues are at $10,001,051. Proposed expenses are at $10,075,683, with proposed expenses over revenues at $74,632.

     Proposed revenues are down from previous fiscal years: 2017, $10.47 million; 2016, $10.36 million. Expenses are also down: 2017, $10.56 million; 2016, $10.71 million.

     Total General Fund revenues for FY 2018 are at $1,765,021. General Fund expenses are at $1,785,267, with $20,246 in excess expended over revenues.

     General Fund revenues stem from property taxes, franchise fees, Local Option Sales Tax, tower rental, licenses/permits/fees, interest, cemetery income, Aquatic Center, police income/grants, Road Use, refunds/reimbursements, and Community Building Rent.

     General Fund expenses stem from the following: police, animal control, streets, streetlights, Aquatic Center, cemetery, Soldiers Memorial, elected officials, city engineer, city attorney, city administration, and transfers/appropriations.