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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/24/2009 04B Minutes 02-26-2009 Council Budget Committee .0 get Committee CEO Conference Ao (2nd or) • City Mai Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Meeting Minutes Attendance: Council Members: Micah Cawley, Kathy Coffey, Bill Lover' (Alternate) Staff: Dick Zais, Rita DeBord, Randy Beehler, Cindy Epperson, Robin Dukart Discussion: ➢ Dick Zais reported the decrease in sales tax revenues the City has recently experienced was not related to the Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) but rather the state of the economy. Cindy Epperson explained that in December the ® City had actually gained revenues of approximately $10,000 due to the SST over the last reported quarter. ➢ An overview of the Preliminary 2008 Year -end results were presented. Actuals are coming in dose to the budget and new growth in tax revenues of 2.4 %. The significance of viewing historical estimates and trends for the projection of revenues and dependence on reserves was discussed. In the General Government (tax supported) funds, revenues exceeded expenditures in 2008, thereby adding over $300,000 to; the reserve balance. • Dick Zais shared that key revenue trends are not matching the 2009 revenue projections. The 2009 revenue forecast was discussed as follows: • Sales tax - revenue began trending downward in late 2008; • Property tax - may begin experiencing some slowing in collections; • Charges for City Services - are stable at this time; ® Revenues from license and permits - has decreased 10% , ® State shared revenues: o Gas tax decrease of 15% will directly affect Streets and the Arterial Street funds. • Other revenues; with current interest rate trends, revenues from ® interest in investments is expected to be less than budgeted. Pagelof2 - Rd CBC Minutes 2 -26 -09 Given the state of the economy and the slowing revenue trends outlined above, additional curtailment will be needed with respect to General . Government services and expenditures. The City Manager has reissued a Memo of Cost Containment for.2009 expenditures and has established Monthly Budget Meetings with the department heads to closely monitor and refine spending wherever possible. Additionally, the Budget Staff is preparing to issue Contingency Budget reduction instructions to all departments, which will contain target reduction levels for all general Government 2009 Budgets. > Kathy Coffey suggested the basic assumption on which the budget is generated should be modified to eliminate any reliance (actual or perceived) on reserves to balance the budget. The City has utilized a conservative "effective balanced budget" approach to preparing its budget for the past 20 (plus) years. The CBC will discuss this suggestion further at their next meeting and decide whether or not the Council. Budget Committee will forward this recommendation to the full City Council Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at.3:30 — 4:30 pm CED Conference Room (City Hall, 2nd floor) Committee Chair (Mic. Cawley) Page2of2 Rd CBC Minutes 2 -26 -09