By Tim Douglass

tdouglass@pctribune.com

The proposed Glenwood City 2024 budget “was a balanced budget” and some changes were made due to union negotiations, city commissioners learned at last Thursday’s rescheduled meeting.

City Administrator Dave Iverson said he continued to work on the budget and supplied commissioners with ongoing changes.  Currently the budget is up about 11 percent from 2023 and the preliminary levy was set at a 9.1 percent increase of 2023.  The levy can be reduced before its final approval but cannot be increased.

The increase in the budget was largely due to wage and benefit increases, Iverson told the commission.  As directed by the commission, Iverson also stated he was looking at “other revenue sources” for the city, including increasing the city-wide sales tax by 1 percent to help with street and utility work.  Other possible fee increases included a surcharge on utility bills, the street light fee, park and camping fees.

He told commissioners too again review the proposed budget and fee structure and said he hoped to get final approval by the Nov. 14 regular commissioners’ meeting.

Commissioners in September approved the 2024 preliminary levy of $2,200,755, a 9.1 percent increase over this year’s levy.  Although the levy is increasing, Iverson pointed out that the city’s tax rate is estimated to decrease to 54.78 percent.  The city’s overall tax rate, which is used to help determine taxes on individual parcels within the city, drops when property valuations increase, Iverson explained.  “As you know, we’ve seen some good increases in valuation over the past two years, which are driven by sales of homes and property,” Iverson explained.  He said the 54.78 percent tax rate estimated for 2024 is “a good rate for our community.”  

Since 2018, the city’s tax rate was above 70 percent. 

In other business, the commission:

• Appointed Paulette Bahe and Jeff Hess to the Glenwood Housing and Redevelopment Board (HRA).

• Approved a gabling permit for  the Knights of Columbus Council 5727 to conduct a raffle on Feb. 18 at Sacred Heart Church in Glenwood.

• Viewed the list of “unfinished business” items compiled for the commission each month.

•Approved the purchase of a pumper truck for the Glenwood Fire Department in the amount of $566,269.  The truck has not yet arrived the approval allows the Fire Department to present the check when they take possession of the truck.

•Approved September expenditures in the amount of $634,586.89.

•Approved October expenditures in the amount of $128,822.83.