GAINESVILLE - The Gainesville City Council learned Thursday morning that the city ended Fiscal Year 2008 in the black despite current economic pressures.
Finance Director Melody Marlowe reported while permit and zoning fee revenues were down city departments held the line, and the city was $1.2 million in the black in revenues, with a $1.3 million expenditure surplus at 95.8 percent of the budgeted $32.7 million.
City Manager Bryan Shuler said deferring expenses was a main factor in holding costs down.
"We ended the budget year collecting more revenues than we budgeted and spending less money than we planned," Shuler said.
Shuler said economic challenges remain on the horizon, with development activity down and revenues fairly flat, especially sales taxes, so the city will continue watching expenses carefully.
Marlow said a bright spot on the revenue list was franchises, showing a 129 percent total collection.
Budget review figures posted an end of the year management reserve of $2,547,516 after deducting a $1.6 million FY 2009 reserved fund balance from the total fund balance of $4,147,516.
HIGHER JAIL COSTS
Gainesville's cost for housing illegal aliens arrested in the city at the county jail is going up; City Manager Shuler said it's time to talk to county commissioners about it.
"If they are undocumented and illegal and they're going to be deported, they're going to be held until they're deported so they're in jail for a longer period of time," Shuler said.
Shuler told city council members the city pays more because it's not just an overnight booking, and it's having a budget impact.
Friday
October 18th, 2024
4:43AM
