SARTELL'S PRELIMINARY 2009 GENERAL FUND BUDGET

The preliminary 2009 budget funds a full year of expense for a new full time mechanic/street maintenance position that was added mid-year 2008.  It also funds increased utility, fuel, insurance and road salt amounts based on our best estimates to date.  The preliminary budget also includes a number of goals which are still being discussed prior to final budget adoption:

• Increases street maintenance and repair budget for sealcoating/crackfilling

• Adds a full time building inspector based upon projected continued multi-family and commercial construction activity in the City.  This position is funded by permit fees and not taxes

• Increases current part time Police Secretary hours to full time position

• Increases Park fund budget to actual expenses which had previously been covered by  Beautification Fund (this increases tax burden but reduces dependence on tower revenues for general fund operations)

• This uses non-election year budget savings to start a general fund transfer to park fund for planned trail maintenance/overlays on City's trail system

• This continues the City’s funding of $17,000 toward community recreation programming through the School District

• Our actual street fund transfers shows a reduction in 2009, but we have a higher tax levy directly to debt service for the 2007 and 2008 street reconstruction projects

• This increases the contingency line item budget from $5,000 to $10,000

At the time the preliminary budget is adopted, the Council does not have information on final tax capacity of the City so the resulting tax rate and impact on City taxpayers is not yet determined.  However, prior to final budget adoption, we will have those impacts determined and the Council's goal is to keep impacts within a 3.5% to 4% impact on City property taxes.  This goal is also still under discussion as part of the final budget, but a 4% impact is estimated to increase City property taxes by about $2 per month on a $200,000 home and $3 per month on a $300,000 home.

Click here to review the City’s preliminary 2009 budget.  A final 2009 budget will be adopted in December after the Truth in Taxation hearing (scheduled for December 1, 2008 at 6:00 pm).  You can email us at City Hall with your comments and suggestions and they will be shared with the Council at the Truth in Taxation hearing on December 1st.