Estimate shows city with 6% more revenue for fiscal '22-23
Jul. 26—Led by a projected $1.14 million increase in sales tax revenue as well as $239,000 in projected additional property tax dollars, the city of Greenville is eyeing total revenue for next year's budget of $29.6 million, a 5.93% gain over the current fiscal year.
The City Council on Tuesday will look at these preliminary numbers and more during budget talks as part of a work session that begins at 4 p.m. today at City Hall. During the session, the city's administration is expected to present departmental budget requests.
In addition, the administration is expected to present a citywide pay plan that would provide for a 5% pay increase for police and fire personnel as well as 5% merit-based raises for other city employees. Also, the city would absorb an 8% increase in health insurance premiums, from $12,430 to $13,269 per employee.
A preliminary budget outline also shows the city adding eight new fulltime positions as well as converting three part-time positions to fulltime.
Also Tuesday, City Manager Summer Spurlock is expected to unveil her recommended tax rate. The city's current tax rate is 58.9 cents per $100 of valuation. The tax rate that would raise the same amount of revenue as the 2021-22 fiscal year — called the "No New Revenue" rate — is 55.18 cents.
Among the police departmental requests is funding for three additional patrol officers and two additional communications operators. The police department is wrestling currently with about a dozen openings.
The entire proposed city budget will go to the council on Aug. 9.
Also Tuesday, an executive session refers to a potential referendum and initiative petitions in regard to radio contracts.
On June 28, Motorola Solutions won a roughly 10-year, $11 million radio contract with the city on a 4-2 council vote. The Motorola bid was chosen over a competing bid submitted by L3Harris, which has a large facility here at Majors Field. Council members Ben Collins, Tim Kruse, Kristen Washington and Kenneth Freeman supported the Motorola bid. Mayor Jerry Ransom and Mayor Pro-Tem Terry Thomas backed the L3Harris bid.
On July 12, the issue arose once more when Harry Maddox, a senior communications consultant for L3Harris, urged the council to reconsider its decision.
Mayor Jerry Ransom, too, asked for a reconsideration of the radio system decision, saying he believes it was a mistake for the council to forego $2 million that Hunt County would have paid the city to be brought into its new L3Harris radio system.
City Attorney Daniel Ray, however, said the city charter allows only a member of the voting majority to ask for reconsideration of a formal decision. None of the councilmembers who supported Motorola were willing to revisit the matter.
Greenville's City Charter contains language that allows citizens to petition for a referendum based on an initiative that want to advance.
