HomeMy WebLinkAboutMeeting Notes 9-21-2016
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BUDGET COMMITTEE
Meeting Notes - September 21, 2016
Committee present: Eric Levine - Chairman, Bill Goodman, Pat Leary
Staff present: Mike Solvig, Judy Drake, Jim Weber, Susan Ritter
Others present:
Meeting was called to order at: 12:04 p.m.
AGENDA ITEMS:
• Review and approve meeting notes from July 27, 2016 and August 24, 2016.
Mr. Solvig reported the meeting notes from August 24 have not been completed. The Committee
reviewed and approved the meeting notes from July 27.
• Review and Discuss 2017 Ithaca Town Budget.
The Committee reviewed the 2017 Tentative Budget. Changes to the budget since last month’s
meeting include:
▪ Addition of a second Electrical/Code Enforcement Officer to assist with the additional work
expected to be generated by the Maplewood expansion. Mr. Goodman explained that as he
and staff had reviewed the amount of work we believe will be generated by the Maplewood
project, it may be necessary to have two additional inspectors on staff. In addition to the
E/CEO position ($60,000), an additional staff vehicle and other equipment is included.
Employee Salaries & Wages increase from $3,449,706 in 2016 to $3,751,120 in 2017, an
increase of $301,414 or 8.7%. Fringe Benefits increase from $2,020,600 in 2016 to
$2,082,125 in 2017, an increase of $61,525 or 3.0%. Total Personnel Costs for the Town in
2017 will increase by $362,939 or 6.6% over the prior year.
▪ As discussed at the last meeting, $23,000 has been added to extend fiber optic cables to the
Public Works Facility, and $25,700 for new telephone systems at Town Hall and the Public
Works Facility. Costs for these projects were distributed between the General, General
Part-Town, Highway, Water and Sewer Funds.
Pat Leary commented that she would also like to see funds being set aside for sidewalks and
affordable housing. Mr. Goodman responded that the sidewalk issue is still being studied in
committee and is not ready for budget consideration yet. Affordable housing is also a very
complex issue, and he would like to see what develops from the County’s housing summit this fall
before the Town takes any action.
Highlights for the 2017 Ithaca Town Budget include the following:
- The Ithaca Town Budget will increase from $24,591,539 in 2016 to $25,595,090 in 2017, an
increase $1,003,551 or 4.08%.
- The budgeted total for Personnel Costs increases from $5,470,306 in 2016 to $5,833,245 in
2017, an increase of $362,939 or 6.63%. Personnel costs represent 22.79% of the Town’s total
2017 budget.
- Total for Personal Services increases to $3,751,120 in 2017 from $3,449,706 in 2016, an
increase of $301,414 or 8.74%.
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- The budgeted total for Employee Benefits increases to $2,082,125 in 2017 from
$2,020,600 in 2016, an increase of $61,525 or 3.04%. Total employee benefits are 55.51%
of the total for employee salaries and wages.
- Payments for employee retirement are budgeted for $600,300 in 2017, an increase of $26,300
or 4.58% from the $574,000 total budgeted in 2016.
- Payments for employee health insurance are budgeted for $1,002,500 in 2017, a decrease of
$2,000 or 0.20% from the $1,004,500 total budgeted in 2016.
- Capital Projects budgeted in 2017 will total $4,485,000; an increase of $235,000 or 5.53% over
the $4,250,000 total budgeted in 2016. Capital projects represent 17.52% of the Town’s total
budget.
- Contractual Services increase to $10,998,172 in 2017; an increase of $191,928 or 1.78% over
the $10,806,244 in 2016. Contractual services represent 42.97% of the total budget for 2017.
- Equipment/Capital Outlay decreases from $840,000 in 2016 to $825,500 in 2017; a decrease
of $14,500 or 1.73%. Equipment/capital outlay represents 3.23% of the Town’s total budget.
- Sales Tax collections for 2017 are budgeted at $3,000,000. Sales tax collections for the Town
have been weak the past two years, with 2015 actual and 2016 estimated collections both
falling short of the prior year. Sales tax collections represent 12.33% of the Town’s total
budgeted revenues.
- Contributions to community organizations/programs will total $371,283 in 2017, a decrease of
$27,041 from the prior year. Of this total, $350,983 is budgeted in the General Townwide
Fund, with the remaining $20,300 budgeted in the Water Fund. The Town’s contribution to
City of Ithaca parks will decline from $83,620 in 2015 / 2016 to $50,000 in 2017.
- The Town will transfer (re-designate) $100,000 from the unreserved fund balance in the
General Townwide Fund to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Account.
- The 2017 Property Tax Levy will total $7,839,200, an increase of $154,000 or 2.00% over the
prior year. This increase does not comply with the property tax cap for 2017. Property taxes
are the Town’s largest revenue source, representing 32.21% of total budgeted revenues.
- The property tax bill for a typical property in the Town of Ithaca will decrease to $1,400.20 in
2017 from $1,424.48 in 2016, a decrease of $24.28 or 1.70%. The typical property in the Town
of Ithaca is a single family residence with an assessed value of $190,000. The property tax bill
total shown includes increased water and sewer benefit assessment fees.
- There will be no increase in water rates and sewer rents in 2017. Water rates will stay at
$6.55/1000 gallons of consumption. Sewer rents, billed on water consumption, will remain at
$4.31/1000 gallons. Water Benefit Assessment Fee will increase to $110.00/unit from
$100.00/unit from the prior year. Sewer Benefit Assessment Fee will remain at $25.00/unit
• Discuss Water and Sewer Rates.
Mr. Goodman reminded the committee that Bolton Point will be changing the water billing
structure in 2017. The current billing structure charges a minimum of 10,000 gallons each quarter
for billing purposes, but about 40% of customers use less than 10,000 gallons per quarter. Under
the new billing structure, the minimum usage will be reduced to 5,000 gallons. This will reduce
the quarterly charge for customers using less than 10,000 gallons.
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For example, under the current structure and rates, a customer using 5,000 gallons/quarter is
billed at the minimum of 10,000 gallons paying $65.50 for the quarter. Under the new structure,
this same customer will only be charged for the 5,000 gallons of water he used, paying $32.75.
Over a year, this amounts to a savings of $131.00.
Mr. Levine asked if the water rates would increase under the new billing structure. Mr. Goodman
replied that rates will have to increase to make-up the revenue that will be lost from those who
previously paid at the 10,000 gallon minimum but used less. Mr. Levine then asked if the new
water rates would be graduated so that customers who used more water also paid a higher rate as
the usage increased. Mr. Goodman replied that the rates Bolton Point charges the Town would be
the same for all usage levels. As the high-usage customers would already be paying more with the
higher rates, the Bolton Point board did not want to add onto this with rates that increased as
usage increased.
As Bolton Point gets ready to implement the new rate structure, the Town will need to determine
on its own how it sets the rates for Town customers. Mr. Goodman also advised the Committee
that the Town will need to revise its billing structure for sewer rents.
• Property Tax Cap.
There was no further discussion on this topic.
• Review and Discuss 2017 IAWWTF Budget.
The Committee reviewed the 2017 Preliminary Budget for the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment
Facility. The total budget will increase from $3,725,681 in 2016 to $4,112,187 in 2017. This is an
increase of $386,506 or 10.4% over the prior year. The Town’s payment will increase from
$1,154,402 in 2016 to $1,183,284 in 2017, an increase of $28,882 or 2.5%.
• Other Items.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:28 p.m.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 (if needed) at 12:00 pm, Town Hall - Aurora Room