In short
Mayor Dave Maughan writes that he presented the basics of a city budget at a city council work session, without discussing past or future numbers, because the council is new and work on next year’s budget starts soon. He says the video of that presentation is available on the city website. The column lays out where city money comes from, what it is already committed to, and what residents can do that affects the budget. His contact information is [email protected] and 801-927-7752.
Everything else
Where the money comes from
- The mayor writes that sales tax is the city’s largest revenue source and property tax is second, and that together they make up about half the budget.
- The next tier of revenue is charges for service, impact fees, and grants. The mayor writes that the city has kept charges for service at actual cost, set accurate impact fees, and captured significant grant funding.
- Impact fees account for 10.99 percent of the budget and apply only to new development, not to existing residents. The mayor writes that their purpose is to keep service levels the same as the city grows without existing residents paying for the upgrades.
- Some funds can be used for anything and others are restricted to specific services or projects, depending on where the money came from.
What it is already committed to
- A large share of the budget is locked in by earlier councils and budgets, including bonds and contracts for buildings and vehicles.
- Most of the budget goes to wages, because the city’s job is largely to provide services people cannot provide for themselves: road and utility repair, first responders, maintaining public property, and staffing city functions.
- The mayor writes that there is a big difference between money spent once and money committed every year.
How the process runs
- The city budgets around vision and mission goals that the council reviews and amends each year, and those goals are published on the city website at all times.
- The city manages through long-range plans reviewed annually, using 5 and 10 year forward planning.
- Budgeting is year-round. A budget is approved annually, but council decisions affect current and future budgets, and data is collected and shared monthly.
- The mayor writes that he spends significant time offsetting city expenses by recruiting businesses, seeking grants and alternative funding, and looking for ways to cut costs or make services more efficient.
What residents can do
- Shop in Syracuse first, since sales tax is the city’s largest revenue source and spending outside the city goes to another city’s budget.
- Stay informed and contact elected officials directly or comment during the public comment period at public meetings.
- Get involved through a school or a civic committee, and take care of public property: the mayor writes that picking up at parks, reporting vandalism, and defusing conflicts all reduce city costs.
Unofficial digest of a city newsletter. The official version is linked below.
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