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Page 2 of 4 <br /> 35 <br /> 36 The Partial Recommendation <br /> 37 <br /> 38 Tax-Supported Capital Needs. The tax-supported capital areas (other than Fire Station or Parks <br /> 39 and Pathways needs) are Vehicles, Equipment, and Facilities. Vehicles represent City"rolling <br /> 40 stock," from police squad cars to fire trucks to snow plows to utility pick-up trucks. Equipment <br /> 41 represents such things as firefighter turn-out gear, police firearms, office furnishings, and the <br /> 42 like. Facilities capital needs generally do not include whole buildings,but rather major building <br /> 43 systems, such as roof replacements or heating and air conditioning systems. These capital items <br /> 44 are the "nuts and bolts" of doing City business on the tax-supported side of the ledger. <br /> 45 <br /> 46 Over$16 million (57%) of the $28 million in general Vehicle, Equipment, and Facility needs is <br /> 47 un-funded using current funding levels and projected costs over the next 20 years. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 The subcommittee recommends a long-term solution for Vehicles, Equipment, and Facilities that <br /> 50 is a combination of shifting funding from operational costs to capital costs, adding revenues, and <br /> 51 transferring existing funds. This recommended solution addresses 100% of the$16 million <br /> 52 shortfall over the next 20 years, and leaves the associated fund balances and annual funding at <br /> 53 sustainable levels beyond that time. <br /> 54 <br /> 55 The first part of the recommendation is to shift approximately$300,000 (about 2.0%of the <br /> 56 current $14.7 million levy) from current operating budget funding to capital funding in 2012, and <br /> 57 to maintain that shift permanently going forward. Approximately$115,000 of that amount <br /> 58 would annually be dedicated to Vehicle funding, approximately$115,000 to Equipment funding, <br /> 59 and the remaining approximately$70,000 would be dedicated to Facility funding. <br /> 60 <br /> 61 The second part of the recommendation is to increase the annual property tax levy by$500,000 <br /> 62 (3.4%of the current $14.7 million levy) in 2012, and to maintain that increase permanently <br /> 63 going forward. Approximately$192,000 of that amount would annually be dedicated to Vehicle <br /> 64 funding, approximately$192,000 to Equipment funding, and the remaining approximately <br /> 65 $116,000 would be dedicated to Facility funding. <br /> 66 <br /> 67 The third part of the recommendation is to transfer$750,000 from the General Fund to the <br /> 68 Equipment Replacement Fund (which currently has a $0 balance) in 2012, creating a sustainable <br /> 69 fund balance in that fund. <br /> 70 <br /> 71 These recommended actions would total an ongoing annual increase in capital funding for <br /> 72 Vehicles, Equipment, and Facilities of$800,000, creating a sustainable funding mechanism for at <br /> 73 least the next 20 years. Approximately 40% of the increased funding comes from operating <br /> 74 spending cuts and 60% from increased property taxes. <br /> 75 <br /> 76 The subcommittee notes that, when anticipated inflationary type cost increases of approximately <br /> 77 $140,000 for 2012 are factored into the equation, assuming no increase in the levy to cover those <br /> 78 cost increases, the operational budget cut totals $440,000, or about 3.0% of the current $14.7 <br /> 79 million levy,bringing the ratio of cuts to new revenues closer to one-to-one ($440,000 and <br /> 80 $500,000 respectively). <br />