MONROE - The City of Monroe came in about 5 percent under budget overall in 2012.
Charles Schuringa, chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee last year, credits the city's staff for working to keep expenses under budget.
"They do a good job," Schuringa said. "Of course, things always come up that you don't expect."
The 2012 expense budget was planned to be about $9.3 million. Actual expenses as of Dec. 31 were about $8.8 million.
The half million dollars saved will go back into the general funds as unassigned money, according to Bridget Schuchart, city comptroller.
"Department heads can request money to be carried over (into the next budget cycle) for a project they are working on," Schuchart said. Those requests must get the approval of the Common Council, and the money is set aside into capital accounts for specific purposes.
The council can decide what to do with the rest of the funds, she said. Often it is sent to capital accounts for other projects and, along with any remaining unassigned funds, is used to reduce the tax levy.
Monroe set aside about $700,000 for capital projects for 2013, and thereby reduced the levy for those projects to $89,000.
The city had about $120,000 left in unassigned funds at the end of 2012, but Schuchart said the entire half million dollars should not be spent until all bills for the year have passed through the accounting system and an audit in mid-summer confirms the amount.
Some expenses from a late-year event, such as the snow storm that hit the city in December, have not yet been approved by council and will cause some last-minute adjustments to the accounts.
Not all departments' accounts appear to be under budget. For example, the Monroe Fire Department expenses are at 127 percent of its 2012 budget, about $156,000 over budget.
However, the revenues for the fire department do not show up side by side with expenses on the budget. One must hunt in the revenue budget for those.
According Fire Chief Daryl Rausch, the department brought in more than $100,000 in grant money last year, which was spent on equipment that shows up on the expense side. And the department received more than anticipated rural calls, which are billed to townships. That revenue offsets increased expenses for salaries and wages and equipment for rural calls, but the expense still shows up in the expense budget.
Rausch said right now, taking into account revenues, fees and state aid, the department is about $7,000 under budget.
Coming in way under budget, at 83 percent or almost $500,000, was the Public Works departments.
About half of that - as far as the expense budget shows - was for under spending on street construction and maintenance, according to Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor.
The city spent more than a million dollars on street construction, repairs and maintenance in 2012, budgeting for $1.23 million.
The extra money was set aside into capital accounts for future projects, Gerber said. It will go towards large street projects in the future, which cost more than a million dollars and may require the city to bond for them.
The city budgeted $76,000 for sidewalks last year, but didn't use any of it.
It also budgeted $82,000 for the parking ramp down town, and used only $31,600. Gerber said repairs were delayed, because a survey on the ramp last year brought to light the need for major reparation or a demolition and construction of a new ramp. The council is still discussing, with community input, the route they want to take for that structure.
General government expenses came in about $150,000, or 4 percent, under budget.
Charles Schuringa, chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee last year, credits the city's staff for working to keep expenses under budget.
"They do a good job," Schuringa said. "Of course, things always come up that you don't expect."
The 2012 expense budget was planned to be about $9.3 million. Actual expenses as of Dec. 31 were about $8.8 million.
The half million dollars saved will go back into the general funds as unassigned money, according to Bridget Schuchart, city comptroller.
"Department heads can request money to be carried over (into the next budget cycle) for a project they are working on," Schuchart said. Those requests must get the approval of the Common Council, and the money is set aside into capital accounts for specific purposes.
The council can decide what to do with the rest of the funds, she said. Often it is sent to capital accounts for other projects and, along with any remaining unassigned funds, is used to reduce the tax levy.
Monroe set aside about $700,000 for capital projects for 2013, and thereby reduced the levy for those projects to $89,000.
The city had about $120,000 left in unassigned funds at the end of 2012, but Schuchart said the entire half million dollars should not be spent until all bills for the year have passed through the accounting system and an audit in mid-summer confirms the amount.
Some expenses from a late-year event, such as the snow storm that hit the city in December, have not yet been approved by council and will cause some last-minute adjustments to the accounts.
Not all departments' accounts appear to be under budget. For example, the Monroe Fire Department expenses are at 127 percent of its 2012 budget, about $156,000 over budget.
However, the revenues for the fire department do not show up side by side with expenses on the budget. One must hunt in the revenue budget for those.
According Fire Chief Daryl Rausch, the department brought in more than $100,000 in grant money last year, which was spent on equipment that shows up on the expense side. And the department received more than anticipated rural calls, which are billed to townships. That revenue offsets increased expenses for salaries and wages and equipment for rural calls, but the expense still shows up in the expense budget.
Rausch said right now, taking into account revenues, fees and state aid, the department is about $7,000 under budget.
Coming in way under budget, at 83 percent or almost $500,000, was the Public Works departments.
About half of that - as far as the expense budget shows - was for under spending on street construction and maintenance, according to Al Gerber, city engineer supervisor.
The city spent more than a million dollars on street construction, repairs and maintenance in 2012, budgeting for $1.23 million.
The extra money was set aside into capital accounts for future projects, Gerber said. It will go towards large street projects in the future, which cost more than a million dollars and may require the city to bond for them.
The city budgeted $76,000 for sidewalks last year, but didn't use any of it.
It also budgeted $82,000 for the parking ramp down town, and used only $31,600. Gerber said repairs were delayed, because a survey on the ramp last year brought to light the need for major reparation or a demolition and construction of a new ramp. The council is still discussing, with community input, the route they want to take for that structure.
General government expenses came in about $150,000, or 4 percent, under budget.