Budget Breakdown

By Cassandra Goff | [email protected]

Cottonwood Heights, Utah - The Cottonwood Heights City Council arrived at city hall for a Budget Retreat meeting on February 16th. When the meeting concluded, the council had a tentative plan for the Cottonwood Heights Fiscal Year July 2016- July 2017 Annual Budget, which included outlining budget priorities.

The council’s highest budget priorities for this year are: successful city hall completion, fund roads at a level to maintain or increase PCI conditions, evaluation of public works alternatives, evaluate and consider budget savings and competitive employee compensation.

There are three major changes to the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget from the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Budget. One expenditure that 2016-2017 has that prior years have not encountered is an extra pay period for city staff workers which will cost the city $231,000.

Within the last year, the Cottonwood Heights Police Department (CHPD) has evaluated different options for body cameras. With their final decision on product, along with push from new state legislation, the CHPD will begin wearing cameras this year. This will cost around $82,000.

The last noteworthy change for this year’s budget is the new in-house public works department. The city will borrow $3,100,000 in order to purchase new equipment for this department. Other expenditures will be paid from money that would have gone towards TerraCare’s contract.

The many different departments within the city create expenditure costs. General Government is estimated to cost $796,411. Administrative Offices which includes finance, attorney fees and elections is budgeted at $1,472,077. Public Safety which includes Police, Fire and ordinance enforcement is budgeted at $9,701,796. Highways and public improvements are budgeted at $2,834,484. Community and Economic Development which includes planning and engineering is estimated to cost $1,157, 283. The remaining expenditures for the budget is for principal and interest payments for debt services which are budgeted for $1,779,308.

Capitol Projects create additional expenditures from the Fund Balance. These projects include police vehicles which are estimated to cost $1,340,000; Municipal Center construction for the new city hall is currently budgeted at $2,500,000; the new public works site is estimated to cost $1,000,000; new pickleball courts at the Recreation Center are estimated to cost $30,000; Mountview Park Improvements are budgeted at $60,000; and resurfacing Creek Road is estimated to cost $335,000.

To balance the expenditures, revenue for Cottonwood Heights comes from many different sources. Taxes are estimated to cumulatively generate revenue of $15,442,385. This comes from Property Tax, Sales Tax, Energy Sales Tax, Road Tax, E911 Emergency Telephone Fees and multiple Franchise taxes. The above estimation is based on a Sales Tax increase of 3%, Energy Sales Tax increase of 22.5% and a property tax increase of 1.41%.

Licenses and Permits; such as businesses, equipment, structures and animal, will create revenue of $690,600. The Intergovernmental Revenue will earn $1,310,000. This includes federal, state and local grants, as well as class C roads and the Liquor Fund Allotment. Zoning and additional charges for services will create revenue of $460,000. Miscellaneous Revenues are estimated at $79,254. Other Financing Sources, such as sale of capital assets and general fund revenue, is estimated to have revenue of $1,063,308.

On May 10th, Consideration of Resolution No. 2016-33 which “Tentatively Adopt(ed) a Tentative Budget for the Period of 1 July 2016 Through 30 June 2017” was unanimously passed.

On June 21 at 7p.m., “Ordinance No. 257 Adopting an Amended Final Budget for the Period of 1 July 2015 Through 30 June 2016; Adopting a Final Budget for the Period of 1 July 2016 Through 30 June 2017; Making Appropriations for the Support of the City of Cottonwood Heights for Such Periods; and Determining the Rate of Tax and Levying Taxes Upon All Real and Personal Property Within the City of Cottonwood Heights” was unanimously voted in favor of by the Cottonwood Heights City Council.

To read the entire budget packet please visit: http://cottonwoodheights.hosted.civiclive.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=109778&pageId=205540 and click Fiscal Year 2016-17.

The direct link is: http://cottonwoodheights.hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_109694/File/Departments/Finan...