City Manager Harold Stewart unveiled the preliminary City budget for 2024 at the Aug. 7 Council meeting, detailing a proposed budget of $199,635,478.
The proposed total represents a 9.3 percent increase from 2023, with the majority of the increase due to allocating funding for major infrastructure projects, including flood control, the Northwest Area Water Supply project, and a storm water project in the Puppy Dog Coulee area.
The proposed budget includes a .63 increase in the mill levy to a total of 120.71 mills, meaning the financial impact on a home valued at $100,000 would be $2.84 a year.
Under the proposal, the City would begin transitioning from a sick leave and vacation policy to a paid time off policy for employees; the change would cost approximately $230,000 to create a safety net for disability leave.
Other highlights include:
-Property taxes up roughly $1.5 million to a total of $28.7 million. In 2023, property taxes accounted for 14.89 percent of the budget; the 2024 total would decrease to 14.38 percent.
-Council approved using $3 million in reserves to balance the budget
-Street maintenance remains steady at $8 million
-10 proposed new full-time positions; only 3 impact property taxes
A budget question-and-answer session with the City Council is set for Aug. 21. Council President Paul Pitner will deliver his budget message to the Council on Sept. 1, and a public hearing on the 2024 budget is set for the Sept. 18 Council meeting.
The second reading and final adoption of the budget will take place at the Oct. 2 Council meeting.