LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council reviewed the city's budget at the midyear point during its Tuesday night meeting, adopting amendments to update the document's appropriations.
City Finance Director Dan Buffalo presented the midyear budget review, touching on revenue highlights and areas where modification was needed to meet expenses.
Among the highlights, Buffalo said the major general fund revenues are up 4 percent from last year, with sales tax up 16 percent, while Measure I revenues – used for streets and other major projects – are down 2 percent, although still better than anticipated.
He said property receipts are higher than the budget estimated due to the continuing impacts of the dissolution of redevelopment.
Departmental expenditures are on pace with expectations, with legal costs being one of the exceptions, Buffalo said.
He would propose to the council during the meeting an increase of $114,478 in the professional services budget to cover the additional legal costs, which City Manager Margaret Silveira said included $60,000 for the city's lawsuit against Sheriff Frank Rivero and the county due to Rivero cutting Lakeport Police off from the records information management system last spring.
A judge ordered Rivero to restore the police department's access last August pending a permanent injunction proceeding, as Lake County News has reported.
Buffalo told the council that water and sewer revenues are up and in line with budget estimates due to rate increases, now in year two for water services and year one for sewer.
The water enterprise fund's revenue is up 32 percent over the previous year due to the hikes, with the sewer fund showing a 17-percent revenue increase, he said. Total expenditures also are on pace with the budget.
The dissolution of the city's redevelopment agency is ongoing, with the remaining element being debt service, Buffalo said.
This year's budget has expenditures higher than anticipated revenue. Buffalo said that difference is covered by $200,000 from last year's surplus that's being split between capital expenditure projects – $100,000 for new docks and $100,000 to augment roadwork.
Buffalo said the city is entitled to $250,000 annually to cover administrative costs to wind down the former redevelopment agency. “Ironically we're more busy now then we were when the agency was around.”
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina wanted to know if they could expect $250,000 again next year. Buffalo said it's up to the local oversight board, but he cautioned that the State Department of Finance – which has the final say – may not approve it, so the city is looking at options to absorb the hit, including reassigning staff and reducing workload.
Regarding the budget adjustments, Buffalo said several accounts had been identified as needing appropriations increases, some of which would be offset by decreases in other areas. Year-to-date adjustments totaled $10,000.
The appropriations changes to all funds totaled $148,123.
Among the fund changes in that total: $114,478 for professional services and the contract for the city attorney; $6,000 for the city engineer to purchase a new truck; $6,450 for roof repairs for the administration office at the city's corporation yard; $9,500 for dump truck repairs; $15,000 for a three-dimensional crime mapping system; and $35,000 for new mobile audio video units for Lakeport Police cars and officer vest cams, part of which will be covered by $20,000 in asset forfeiture funds.
Buffalo told the council that prep work on the 2014-15 budget already has begun, with Silveira meeting with department heads to assess goals.
Budget hearings are expected to take place at meetings on June 3 and June 10, with the final budget possibly going before the council on June 17, Buffalo said.
With no public input, Councilman Tom Engstrom moved to approve the budget amendments recommended by staff, with Mattina seconding. The council voted 5-0.
Also on Tuesday, the council appointed Pam Harpster to the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee and Suzanne Lyons to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
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