City Proposes FY18 Balanced Budget
Focus Remains on Maximizing Efficiency and Long-Term Planning
July 19, 2017
At today's budget workshop, City Manager Ricardo Fernandez presented the proposed City of Tallahassee balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18). The proposed FY18 budget is designed to allow the City to continue providing high quality services at an affordable cost while meeting the stated needs of the community, such as public safety and infrastructure improvements. The proposed budget is balanced and reflects the Commission's direction to not increase the millage rate, keeping it at 4.1 mills.
The FY18 General Fund budget totals $152.9 million, representing an increase of $1.3 million from FY17. The General Fund budget funds general government functions such as police and parks. In keeping with the community's priorities, the proposed budget invests an additional $6.5 million in roadway and sidewalk improvements.
To ensure a balanced budget, measures will be taken including functional consolidations and workforce reductions, employee benefit cost sharing, insourcing/outsourcing of tasks, reviewing fee-based City services and more. These efforts are projected to offset the deficit, attributed in part to the repeal of the business tax and increases in personnel costs, without impacting the delivery of services to citizens.
Overall, the total proposed City budget, including the General Fund and Enterprise Funds, totals $709.7 million, $23.5 million more than the FY17 budget. This increase reflects investments in utility and street infrastructure.
This workshop was the 13th update the Commission has received in its ongoing budget series during Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17). The budget planning process for FY18 has focused on improving efficiencies to streamline City services to achieve long-term savings. The City is committed to a transparent budget process. The proposed budget was developed through a multi-stage process that factored in the Municipal Cost Comparisons, City Commission priorities and input, public involvement and the status of the FY17 budget.
The next budget updates and public hearings will be held on September 13 and September 27. The final FY18 budget is anticipated to be adopted at the September 27 meeting. FY18 begins October 1.
Information is always available through OpenGov and the City's online budget, both accessible through Talgov.com.
Sign Up to Receive City News