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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,November 25, 2019 <br /> Page 2 <br /> Interim Finance Director Jason Schirmacher briefly highlighted this item as de- <br /> tailed in the Request for Council Action and related attachments dated November <br /> 25, 2019. <br /> It was noted there were several emails from the public regarding this item. <br /> City Manager Trudgeon explained that the budget is set at a twelve percent in- <br /> crease, five million dollars of that is for funding of the OVAL which the city an- <br /> ticipates getting State funding. If looking at just the local property tax levy the <br /> city is asking for a $1.1 million increase in the levy or a 5.1 percent increase and <br /> that includes some of the normal costs of increasing the cost of doing business. <br /> This also includes 3 police officers with two funded by local tax levy, one by a <br /> County Grant, 3 fire fighters are also included in that request. That is what the <br /> City Council approved as the preliminary, not to exceed amount back in Septem- <br /> ber. <br /> Councilmember Willmus indicated after the Council approved the preliminary, <br /> not to exceed amount Mr. Trudgeon had some staffing changes or restructuring <br /> possibilities and he wondered if that was taken into account in this final budget. <br /> Mr. Trudgeon explained that has not been factored in here at all with the excep- <br /> tion of a commitment to the Commitment to Diversity Police Officer and that was <br /> removed as a part of the not to exceed amount. As far as any other reorganization <br /> nothing has been done. He noted that the budget still includes three positions for <br /> Metro-NET that are not funded by the property tax levy and that is something to <br /> be anticipated in 2020 to start filling those positions. <br /> Mayor Roe indicated on the memo related to the fund balances and reserve funds, <br /> in communications the balance at the end of 2019 is projected to be about <br /> $62,000, Roe noted this is funded by franchise fees. <br /> Mr. Trudgeon indicated that was correct. <br /> Mayor Roe understood that the 2020 budget proposal continues the deficit spend- <br /> ing in that fund to fund all of the activities undertaken from funds in that fund so <br /> if the deficit approaches the same $82,000 the city would deplete that fund entire- <br /> ly. <br /> Mr. Schirmacher explained the projected deficit of $82,890 is not the year end <br /> deficit, it is more of a reduction that needs to occur. Some of that money needs to <br /> go out to various programs and has not gone out yet. The total fund would not be <br /> at $62,000,that is what would be available other than what is programmed in <br /> there. <br /> Mayor Roe explained there are a number of factors that go into what an individual <br /> property owner pays for property taxes, especially for the city specifically, which <br />