AURORA | The city won’t face any budget cuts in 2014 or 2015 for the first time in about a decade. But budget shortfalls are still projected for future years as the city continues to incur costs such as pay raises for city employees and additional police officers.
The 2014 proposed budget for the General Fund is $268.5 million, up 6.9 percent from the 2013 budget of $251.3 million.
Next year’s budget is higher in part because of an unexpected surge in auto sales taxes this year, though the number of car purchases in the city is sure to taper off next year, said Jason Batchelor, the city’s finance director.
But projections show the city will likely face a $3.8 million shortfall in 2016 with pay increases and increases in health insurance contributions for employees. In 2017, the shortfall is expected to be $5.5 million as the city adds additional police officers as part of the police-staffing mandate. In 2018, the shortfall is expected to be $11.7 million.
“That’s with continued pay and benefit increases and cost-drivers,” Batchelor said. “But those numbers are in the manageable range.”
Adding projects and services with ongoing costs will dictate how significant the budget gap will be in future years, Batchelor said. Examples of ongoing costs include adding new staff or a new recreation center.
Expenses in the 2014 proposed budget include: About $8 million in funding for one-time projects related to the Interstate 225 FasTracks light rail line, $200,000 in funding for additional tree trimming services, $60,000 in funding for a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. at the MLK Library, $1 million in upgrades to Moorhead Recreation Center, and $2.3 million for a 1.5 percent pay increase for city staff. Also included in the 2014 budget is $22.6 million set aside for bonds for a new police and fire training facility near the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds. The new facility would replace the current training facilities spread throughout the city, which police and fire officials have said are extremely outdated. But not all Aurora City Council members are sold on the idea yet.
“I’m not saying it’s not important, but if we do a $37 million project, it’s probably going to be the last big project we do for maybe the next 10 or 15 years,” LeGare said at an Aug. 26 meeting. LeGare’s estimate included $14.6M for a firing range.
Council members will meet on Oct. 5 to discuss the training facility and other expenses in the 2014 budget in detail before they officially sign-off on it later this fall.
Revenue in 2014 is projected to grow at 2.8 percent, an additional $7.3 million, over 2013. Sales tax, the largest revenue-generator for the city’s General Fund, is expected to increase by 2.7 percent over 2013.
Same crap here…we got to hear how government can’t do whats needed because they need more money…it never ends….they could have every dime of everybody and still say they don’t have enuff….we need people that know how to spend money wisely…no criminal jackasses (democrats) giving away money to buy votes.
Mr. LeGare seems to be the only person on council with any sense.
Why not upgrade and renovate the existing facilities?
We need people on council who think ahead like Mr. LeGare does. People who don’t act like they have a blank check to do whatever they want whenever they want.
I compare this council to those who hit the lottery for millions and three years later are flat broke.
The taxpayers of Aurora need to pay attention to who among you vote to spend $37 million of our dollars on this facility and then make sure you don’t get another term next go round.