On Aug. 18, 2008, the City Council adopted the 2009 budget and 2009-2013 Capital Improvements Program.

• Budget-in-Brief
• Property tax (2009 budget year)
• Sales tax
• Expenditures - where the money goes

Budget Highlights:

The total budget is $251,140,000, which is a 5.7 percent decrease from the adopted 2008 Budget.

The operations portion of the budget, which funds the day-to-day operations of the city (personal services, commodities, contractual services and equipment replacement), in the four primarily operating funds (General, Fire, Stormwater and Golf) amounts to $108.1 million. This is a 0.6 percent increase over the 2008 adopted budget.

The modest increase in the operating budget is in response to slowed revenue growth and city-specific revenue reductions related to sales and use tax revenues.

The 2009 budget includes:

• Extension of services to the newly annexed area of the city. The impact of the annexation was included in the city’s 2009-2013 five-year financial plan, developed in the fall of 2007.

• Addition of resources to meet the expanded operating needs for the reconstructed Stonegate Pool at 97th and Antioch.

• Addition of an Engineer to address increasing requirements associated with implementation of the Stormwater BMP program. This additional position is funded from the Stormwater Utility Fund.

• Addition of personnel and costs associated with the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead entry building, general store and restaurant, which is planned for construction in 2008/2009 contingent on funds raised from private donors. Operating revenues have been identified to offset the operating costs of the facilities.

• Operational funds for a partial year of operation of the soccer complex, which is scheduled to open in September 2009. This program is budgeted from the Transient Guest Tax Capital Fund, and operating revenues are anticipated to fully pay for operating costs associated with the facility.

• Elimination of seven full-time positions, including two administrative assistants, one property unit manager, one Police Department civilian support assistant, one fire inspector and two plan examiners.
  
  
• Reduces funding in commodities, contractual services and capital outlay in various departments.

The budget also includes funding for maintenance and capital projects.

• The 2009 budget includes funding for capital improvement projects scheduled in 2009 include the following improvements:

• The 2009 budget includes funding for 2009 maintenance projects. Funding for the maintenance program comes from the Special Street and Highway Fund, General Fund, 1/8 cent sales tax for street improvements, Stormwater Utility Fund and Intergovernmental Funding.

• Additional information can be found in the 2009 budget adoption packet.

The City Manager’s proposed 2009 budget was first presented to the Committee of the Whole on June 2, 2008. The City Manager’s proposed budget is a starting point for discussions regarding the 2009 budget.

Members of the Governing Body reviewed and revised the budget during meetings in June and July.

The City Council held its first public hearing regarding the 2009 budget on April 14. The second public hearing was Aug. 11.

Formal adoption of the 2009 operating budget, including the updated 2009-2013 Capital Improvements Program, occurred on Aug. 18, 2008.