Oak Parker won’t see any significant cuts to services next year, but some trustees suggested at a preliminary review of the budget that a more “rigorous” review of some expenditures for 2016 might lessen the tax burden on residents.
During a public hearing last week, Craig Lesner, village chief financial officer, walked trustees through the budgeting process and noted key components of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins Jan. 1.
The draft budget projects total expenditures of $124,191,895 — about 2 percent higher than the adopted budget for the current fiscal year — and total revenues of $124,133,828, according to staff. The expenditures include a roughly 1.8 percent decrease in the general fund, which includes police, fire and other operating expenses, coupled with small increases in enterprise and capital funds.
The increase in capital spending for alley and street infrastructure needs is “a fairly significant feature” of the proposed budget, Lesner said.
“We’re looking to really improve upon our normal programs,” he said. “Normally, we spend a couple million dollars a year, which sounds like a lot, but if you ask some of those people who live on the streets that are a couple years out, there’s more necessary to update our infrastructure.”
The budget plan also includes eliminating five full-time equivalent positions that are currently vacant, said Village Manager Cara Pavlicek.
Some trustees said that while the village has done a good job of managing its finances, previous cost savings discussed for the public health department were not included in the plan.
“In retrospect … I don’t think the process was really encouraging this rigorous assessment,” Trustee Peter Barber said. “We know that we’re in a situation where the burden (on taxpayers) overall continues to be high.”
The proposed 2014 property tax levy is about $24.6 million — a 0.06 percent increase from the levy extended this year — according to village documents.
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The village has taken steps toward increasing scrutiny of departments where there is potential for redundancies in services provided by the county and state, said Trustee Adam Salzman.
“Somewhere along the way … the process broke down a bit, and I think it will be incumbent on us in 2016 to have those discussions more effectively … (and) reduce expenses in a way that’s smart,” Salzman said.
Pavlicek said staff would seek to move the public health department from the general fund to the enterprise fund in the fiscal year 2016 budget, noting that the majority of its services are based on user fees rather than general revenues.
“This is something that will require us to look at it with more of a business approach,” Pavlicek said.
Trustees will continue a discussion on the budget at their meeting on Monday. The board is scheduled to adopt the budget at its Dec. 8 meeting.