The Junction City Commission has approved the city’s 2015 budget.
When the City began putting together the budget the Commission presented city staff with three goals.
- Maintain services.
- Be fiscally responsible while providing quality services, protect infrastructure, and address capital needs without increasing the mill levy.
- Provide additional general fund funding for street maintenance.
Cheryl Beatty, City Manager explained Tuesday night during the Commission meeting that they have successfully met those three goals.
“I’m here to state that the 2015 budget presented to you meets all of those goals. This has been thoroughly vetted through multiple meetings with you and I recommend the adoption of the budget, placing it at 47.66 mills for the city of Junction City as presented,” Beatty told the commission.
The budget does call for a slight increase in the mill levy from 47.63 mill to 47.66 mills.
Commissioner Mick McCallister did mention that he see’s a glide path within the budget that shows the city is trying to hold the line and he is pleased with that.
“When you look back into 2009 and going forward, there is a glide path, and it’s clear that the city has tried to hold the line,” said McCallister.
He did go on to recognize that there is some spending but commended city staff for working hard and staying on the glide path.
Commissioner Cecil Aska commented that he was happy to see the city still being able to provide some of the services that the city does provide and still hold the line.
“At least with some of the folks that I talk to, actually no body wants their taxes or the mill to go up, but at least the people that I talk to they are fairly satisfied with the services they are getting for their dollar,” explained Aska.
During the conversation Tuesday night some of the commissioners mentioned that they would have liked to have been able to assist the Geary County Commission on their proposed 2015 budget, which is calling for a proposed 7.38 mill levy increase.
“I think with what the county’s facing, I think we have to figure out a way to work with these guys,” said Commissioner Pat Landes. “I wish we would have known what they were projecting back in June, unfortunately we didn’t.”
Landes explained that he is very concerned about the county’s budget. He mentioned that tax payers are hit by three different taxing entities, and even though the city has been able to keep their mill levy rather flat, they will be hit hard by the county’s proposed mill levy increase.
“You know if the other entity is looking at substantial increases I think there are some things that they could do to mirror us.”
One example he gave was for the county commission to look at what city staff pay’s on their health insurance,”I wish they would look at that among other things.”
The County Commission did announce Monday that they are not through looking for more cuts. They do have until Aug. 25 to approve the budget.
The Junction City budget must now be filed with the Geary County Clerk by Aug. 25.