MONROE - A revenue loss of at least $100,000 and rising costs will be hitting the City of Monroe budget in 2010.
City aldermen were already aware of the $60,000 in lost revenue from parking meters and fines, after the meters were removed this spring to make way for the downtown Square reconstruction project.
Now, the state's new budget is going to reduce Monroe's share of revenue by more than $51,000, Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said Monday.
Last year, Monroe's Finance and Taxation Committee had to cut $450,000 from the budget. To do so, they cut two major accounts: The city administrator's position at $105,500, and new sidewalk construction at $100,000.
Now city officials are discussing how to raise almost $2 million for street and sidewalk construction, and create a human resources position, with extra duties, for about $60,000 and benefits.
The state budget will allow municipalities to increase the tax levy by 3 percent in 2010, Davis said.
That would allow the city to levy about $174,000 more in taxes to cover the added expenses.
The city also has discussed creating a transportation utility, or some other revenue source, to fund work on sidewalks and streets.
The city budgeted $1.28 million for streets and sidewalks for 2009. Mayor Ron Marsh told the Times last week that $700,000 more than that will be needed in 2010 "if you're going to get done what really needs to get done."
Marsh said the city doesn't yet know what it will receive in state aid for street construction. Last year, Monroe received about $500,000. If the city doesn't keep up its roads, it could lose that aid, Marsh said. The city must file a report with the state on road conditions and the work done every two years.
How the council decides to fund streets and sidewalks will affect the way the budget is balanced. If aldermen decide to create a utility, it would take six to nine months to get set up, Marsh said.
"It would take about four months to put together and three months to get a billing system ready," Marsh said.
The council also would have to pass new ordinances for the program. If started right away, Marsh does not expect to see the utility until May 2010, leaving the 2010 budget handling costs for a half year.
City Engineer Al Gerber said the city did "mostly a lot of seal coating and patching" of roads this year. Next year will be "about the same," he said.
On the engineering department's five-year plan, 18th Avenue from 1st through 5th Street is scheduled for reconstruction; 8th Street from Wisconsin 69 to the west edge of the city will be given a coated sealcoat. No cost estimates are available.
Sidewalks were only repaired in 2009, and whether installations will resume in 2010 remains undecided.
"It depends on whether they give me sidewalks back in the budget," Gerber said.
Sidewalk projects for 2010, up next on the five-year list, are 26th Street (8th Avenue to 11th Avenue), Ridgeway Road (1st Avenue to 22nd Avenue), 24th Street (8th Avenue to 11th Avenue) and 29th Street (8th Avenue to 9th Avenue). All can be done for less than a $100,000 cost to the city, he said.
The mayor and aldermen have been debating the benefits of a transportation utility since May 18.
How much money the city would collect from a transportation utility would "depend upon how much the council wanted to pay for in a given year," Marsh said.
The council could decide to raise the needed revenue with a mix of different programs, including a wheel tax, an increase in the budget and special assessments.
Marsh differentiated the pros and cons of the various ways the city could raise revenues for streets and sidewalks during a question-and-answer session at a meeting of the Common Council on June 23.
Council members also could go to a referendum to raise money for streets and sidewalks.
Creating a transportation utility was the best option, Marsh said at the time.
If a utility is implemented soon enough, $300,000 could be cut from the 2010 operating expenses. The survey and implementation is expected to cost $30,000, with another $10,000 spent for public outreach.
Marsh said a transportation utility could include street repairs, replacement, reconstruction; street cleaning and snow removal, grant writing (requests for aid), engineering costs and payroll. Marsh said he would not know how much people would pay in utility fees until a survey had been complete.
Further complicating matters for the Finance and Taxation Committee is the possible creation of a new position - a human resources employee with extra duties in economic development and some financial oversight.
Alderman Mark Coplien, chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee, told the Times on Monday that an HR position would be a more intelligent way to fulfill some city duties, in the absence of a city administrator. He estimated the cost for the position to run about $60,000 to $70,000. Coplien plans to bring the issue before the committee July 7.
The city could use the $48,000 in a new marketing account created in 2009 to help offset the cost of an HR person, especially if the position included economic development duties.
Some funds from the administrator and community development accounts were combined to create the marketing account. From that account, Monroe paid $15,000 to Green County Development Corporation (GCDC), and $15,000 to Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) for economic development.
The city departments and committees are expected to start budget meetings Sept. 1.
City aldermen were already aware of the $60,000 in lost revenue from parking meters and fines, after the meters were removed this spring to make way for the downtown Square reconstruction project.
Now, the state's new budget is going to reduce Monroe's share of revenue by more than $51,000, Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said Monday.
Last year, Monroe's Finance and Taxation Committee had to cut $450,000 from the budget. To do so, they cut two major accounts: The city administrator's position at $105,500, and new sidewalk construction at $100,000.
Now city officials are discussing how to raise almost $2 million for street and sidewalk construction, and create a human resources position, with extra duties, for about $60,000 and benefits.
The state budget will allow municipalities to increase the tax levy by 3 percent in 2010, Davis said.
That would allow the city to levy about $174,000 more in taxes to cover the added expenses.
The city also has discussed creating a transportation utility, or some other revenue source, to fund work on sidewalks and streets.
The city budgeted $1.28 million for streets and sidewalks for 2009. Mayor Ron Marsh told the Times last week that $700,000 more than that will be needed in 2010 "if you're going to get done what really needs to get done."
Marsh said the city doesn't yet know what it will receive in state aid for street construction. Last year, Monroe received about $500,000. If the city doesn't keep up its roads, it could lose that aid, Marsh said. The city must file a report with the state on road conditions and the work done every two years.
How the council decides to fund streets and sidewalks will affect the way the budget is balanced. If aldermen decide to create a utility, it would take six to nine months to get set up, Marsh said.
"It would take about four months to put together and three months to get a billing system ready," Marsh said.
The council also would have to pass new ordinances for the program. If started right away, Marsh does not expect to see the utility until May 2010, leaving the 2010 budget handling costs for a half year.
City Engineer Al Gerber said the city did "mostly a lot of seal coating and patching" of roads this year. Next year will be "about the same," he said.
On the engineering department's five-year plan, 18th Avenue from 1st through 5th Street is scheduled for reconstruction; 8th Street from Wisconsin 69 to the west edge of the city will be given a coated sealcoat. No cost estimates are available.
Sidewalks were only repaired in 2009, and whether installations will resume in 2010 remains undecided.
"It depends on whether they give me sidewalks back in the budget," Gerber said.
Sidewalk projects for 2010, up next on the five-year list, are 26th Street (8th Avenue to 11th Avenue), Ridgeway Road (1st Avenue to 22nd Avenue), 24th Street (8th Avenue to 11th Avenue) and 29th Street (8th Avenue to 9th Avenue). All can be done for less than a $100,000 cost to the city, he said.
The mayor and aldermen have been debating the benefits of a transportation utility since May 18.
How much money the city would collect from a transportation utility would "depend upon how much the council wanted to pay for in a given year," Marsh said.
The council could decide to raise the needed revenue with a mix of different programs, including a wheel tax, an increase in the budget and special assessments.
Marsh differentiated the pros and cons of the various ways the city could raise revenues for streets and sidewalks during a question-and-answer session at a meeting of the Common Council on June 23.
Council members also could go to a referendum to raise money for streets and sidewalks.
Creating a transportation utility was the best option, Marsh said at the time.
If a utility is implemented soon enough, $300,000 could be cut from the 2010 operating expenses. The survey and implementation is expected to cost $30,000, with another $10,000 spent for public outreach.
Marsh said a transportation utility could include street repairs, replacement, reconstruction; street cleaning and snow removal, grant writing (requests for aid), engineering costs and payroll. Marsh said he would not know how much people would pay in utility fees until a survey had been complete.
Further complicating matters for the Finance and Taxation Committee is the possible creation of a new position - a human resources employee with extra duties in economic development and some financial oversight.
Alderman Mark Coplien, chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee, told the Times on Monday that an HR position would be a more intelligent way to fulfill some city duties, in the absence of a city administrator. He estimated the cost for the position to run about $60,000 to $70,000. Coplien plans to bring the issue before the committee July 7.
The city could use the $48,000 in a new marketing account created in 2009 to help offset the cost of an HR person, especially if the position included economic development duties.
Some funds from the administrator and community development accounts were combined to create the marketing account. From that account, Monroe paid $15,000 to Green County Development Corporation (GCDC), and $15,000 to Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) for economic development.
The city departments and committees are expected to start budget meetings Sept. 1.