9-4-14 fdl city budget unveiled

The Fond du Lac city manager says a proposed 2015 city budget includes no major changes in service levels, with the exception of an increase in funding for the emerald ash borer infestation, and additional funding for street reconstruction.   The Fond du Lac city council got its first look at the budget at a special meeting  Wednesday night.  Council president Sam Meyer says he believes the budget is headed in the right direction.  “There’s two areas I would like to emphasize.  The cost of labor which makes up about 80 percent of the city budget is going to be going down for the 4th straight year,”  Meyer told WFDL news.  “Another high point is that our water rates are not going to be increasing either.”   Meyer says water rates haven’t increased since 2009.  City manager Joe Moore says the property tax levy limit is allowed to increase by an estimated net new construction of 1.97 percent.  State shared revenues are unchanged and state highway aids are estimated to increase by $235,000.  The budget includes $200,000 for removal and treatment of ash trees to address the Emerald Ash Borer infestation, $190,000 for street reconstruction and a one time $10,000 payment to the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation for a community strategic plan.  Meyer says any additional reduction in taxes would require cuts in staff and or programs.  “We would have to either let people go or take a look at benefit programs like health insurance,”  Meyer said.  Meyer says he supports changes that increase the amount of annually recurring capital projects funded by general operating revenues rather than long-term debt.  Capital financed by operations in the 2015 budget is $2,079,000 compared to $625,000 in the 2014 budget.   Moore says reductions in budgeted operating costs, most notably wages and benefits, allow for the additional pay-as-you-go financing of capital projects.

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