Iola City Council members will be asked tonight to approve a number of measures to close an $800,000 shortfall in expenses and revenues for 2017.
City Administrator Carl Slaugh already has instituted an across-the-board, 5-percent spending cut for 2016 because of a projected deficit.
Doing so will give the city a larger carry-over balance for 2017.
Even so, the city must take other steps to balance the 2017 budget, Slaugh said in written remarks to the Council.
Among the city’s options:
— Raising the city’s property tax levy by 4.47 mills, which would generate about $131,000.
— Increase transfers from electric and wastewater by a combined $154,000, while reducing the electric transfers to the equipment reserves by $250,000.
— Eschewing rock purchases for chip-and-seal projects next year, saving about $100,000. That would be possible if the city cancels its 2017 chip-seal work, or go to a five-year rotation for the annual maintenance work.
— Cutting the city’s annual payment to Van Scoyoc and Associates, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm. Slaugh recommended not paying $25,000 for the rest of this year, and $50,000 for 2017.
— Changing the city’s policy on how overtime is computed. (No figures were provided with this potential action.)
— Other areas for discussion include whether to purchase a second patrol car for the Iola police Department, and increasing trash collection fees from $8.50 to $10.50 monthly.
THERE HAS been much confusion about whether large property tax hikes must go in front of local voters, Slaugh noted, because of a tax lid law recently approved by the State Legislature.
While the tax lid law goes into effect in 2017 — any proposed hike greater than the rate of inflation must be approved by local voters — it would not affect any budget approved this year, Slaugh said.
“The tax lid does not affect your 2017 budget,” Slaugh wrote.
