City plans budget sessions
By CHRISTOPHER DIEM, Journal Staff WriterArticle Photos
The board meets at 5:15 p.m. on Monday in commission chambers at city hall. The budget meetings continue at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday and 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.
City Manager Judy Akkala said she didn’t want department heads to only focus on what they felt they needed within their department.
“I wanted them to focus on what the public would need from their department ... I don’t think we’ve ever looked at it in those terms before,” she said.
As an example, she said the police department assists people with lockouts as a service.
“One of the things you could look at is we will start charging for those and that would be a revenue enhancement ... or, because there are private entities that do that, should that be something we could say to the commission we would like to eliminate that,” Akkala said.
On Monday, the commission is scheduled to hear presentations about general fund revenues and listen to requests from central administration, community development, information systems, police department, fire department, rental code enforcement and social services.
On Tuesday, the commission will hear about the Marquette Area Wastewater Treatment Facility, projects under the water/sewer fund, projects under the stormwater fund, capital projects, and listen to presentations from the engineering, public works and parks and recreation departments.
On Wednesday, the commission will receive reports from the Peter White Public Library, Downtown Development Authority and be briefed about the city’s liability/property insurance, debt service and transfers out.
According to the city audit presentation earlier this month, general fund expenditures have increased an average of 2.5 percent over the last few years while revenue reductions have been anywhere from 6 percent to 8 percent.
“We have to do more with less money,” Akkala said. “When you’re faced with that situation, the ‘do more’ list has to be prioritized with core services the highest priority. As we go down the list we have to look at things we can no longer afford to do.”
At the audit presentation commissioners were told payments from state revenue sharing — which represents about 15 percent of general fund revenue — have decreased over the last few years and were unlikely to increase in the near future.
The commission was warned that as health insurance costs go up and the price of gasoline and natural gas increases, the city will have to start looking at alternative ways to raise revenues, such as user fees.
