by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino
City Council held its first Budget Workshop on July 30, 2024, after setting the maximum millage rate at 2.5 mills at its July 16 meeting.
Deputy City Manager Steve Chaipel gave a presentation first explaining the City’s new software system, called OpenGov, which will be available to the public in mid-August, that will put the draft budget entirely online. It will contain complete information as well as the full budget for each department. There will be links to “drill down” on certain accounts or certain years.
Chaipel said the budget contains more than just numbers. It lists departments’ challenges, accomplishments, goals and objectives, and much more.
Today, citizens can view the draft budget by going to mysanibel.com, clicking on “finance department,” and then “budget.”
Chaipel then gave an overview of the 2025 draft budget. In his presentation, he said budget workshops give City Council an initial opportunity to discuss budget strategies, goals, and objectives. After the initial discussion in July, discussion continued at the July 30 workshop and will continue in August at the next budget workshop; the first budget hearing takes place in September.
The budget workshop goals include providing information on current budget issues/initiatives including property valuations, tax forecasts, available resources to fund recovery and operating expenses, reserves, operating expenditures, capital project expenditures, as well as reaching a consensus on reserve funding.
At the final budget hearing on September 23, the final millage rate will be adopted, and the final budget will be adopted. The City’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025.
The entire Budget Workshop Overview can be viewed here.
Mayor Richard Johnson and Vice Mayor Mike Miller both said the City is headed in the right direction with this draft budget but expressed concern that 2026 will be harder due to less money being available from grants and loans related to disaster recovery. Council member Holly Smith agreed and said there are a lot of hard questions ahead for the next couple of years. City Manager Dana Souza said the City needs to start looking five years, 10 years out.
The next steps in the budget process are:
• Budget Workshop Aug. 27, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
• First Budget Hearing Sept. 9, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
• Final Budget Hearing Sept. 23, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
Leave a Comment