McMinnville officials are prepared to get a budget for fiscal year 2015-16 ready for full board review this month, says Finance Committee chairman Everett Brock.
Finance Committee members will meet on July 9 to “review all departmental budgets” and “discuss and recommend tax rate.”
The committee met June 23 to consider funding requests that total $428,571 from nonprofit organizations. Brock says that meeting was discussion only and a decision will be made about those requests July 9.
“We just interviewed the nonprofits the last time we met,” said Brock. “We didn’t vote on anything. We are going to decide on nonprofits on July 9, review the budgets and try to approve them for a full budget recommendation to the board the following week.”
The city’s budget requires an ordinance and two passing reads before the board. This month’s meetings are July 14 and 28.
Brock will recommend the property tax rate remain the same.
“I will recommend we keep the rate the same,” said Brock, who says the city has enough money to cover expenses. “We’ve got plenty of money right now. There’s no need for a property tax increase. My recommendation will be to leave it as it is.”
Departmental budgets: General Fund $2.2 million; Police Department $3.4 million; Fire Department $3.2; Planning and Zoning Department $361,000; Public Works $1.8 million; Vehicle Maintenance $298,000; Animal Control $84,000; Parks and Recreation $2 million; Park Theater $615,000; and Urban Forestry $218,000.
Departments that are funded from the state or considered enterprise systems, meaning they are self-funded through user rates, fees and charges: Drug Fund $30,000; Street Aid $411,000; Solid Waste Collection and Disposal $1.4 million; and Water and Wastewater $4.2 million.
Also within the budget is a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for all full-time city employees. The raise was built into the budget.
The meeting July 14 will be held in the conference room located on the third floor of City Hall.