CC_Minutes_2011_0523 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, May 23,2011 Page 25 normal increase or other situations; and questioned why there would be any issue in staff providing a budget that simply had no increases over 2011. Mayor Roe clarified that it was already available, represented by the 2011 budget. Councilmember McGehee spoke in support of sticking with the 2011 budget with no extras. Mayor Roe clarified that addressing some of the contractual obligations identified by staff would require something else to be cut. Mayor Roe noted that this item was for discussion purposes only; with no formal action required. g. Discuss Setting the 2012/2013 Preliminary Tax Levy Two (2) bench handouts were provided: an amended RCA entitled, "Discuss Set- ting a Preliminary 2012 Property Tax Levy" (Item 13.g); and a copy of a portion of the Cobalt Community Research citizen survey (Draft 6), both attached hereto and made a part hereof Mr. Miller advised that the amended RCA eliminated the proposed resolution originally attached; as a decision had been made to exclude it to avoid confusion and to postpone setting a preliminary levy until the CIP results were received. Mr. Miller advised that staff was seeking verbal direction from the City Council on how they wished to proceed toward a City-recommended budget for adoption of a preliminary levy in September. Discussion included the process according to the previously-adopted budget sche- dule, with the City Council completing their tasks prior to staff performing their responses, based on the information included in the decision packages outlined in the RCA; and flexibility of the calendar needed for more timely decision-making. Mayor Roe noted that the City Council majority needed to set a preliminary levy, from zero on up, to which staff would develop a budget based on that directive; with consensus decisions made in the proposed budget to get to that target. Mayor Roe advised that this step was to provide staff with guidance; and re- quested discussion tonight on those decision packages as the process moved for- ward in setting a preliminary levy. Further discussion included the percentage of COLA at 1% based on negotiated contracts of peer communities competing for staff talent; a 5% employer share of any increased health care costs; the $400,000 decision package related to vehicle and equipment replacement funding as it related to current CIP discussions on specific items needed for 2012; and removal of that $400,000 from current dis- cussions, leaving $243,000, representing just under a 4%increase.