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Home My WebLink AboutSupplemental Attachments - 4/7/2025 (A)Nit9\-Witilig4.6 q/ 4/7/2025 1§N FY2026 PUBLISHED BUDGET REVIEW CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA April 7, 2025 11 smarms. i! ..;1 ...— 410 il }:i a . I �q CITY OF 1 1,{' 4WJATERLOO lom Community of Opportunity 1 Outline 1 . FY2026 Published Levy Rates 2.Balancing Act Analytics 3. FY2026 Proposed Certified Budget 2 2 1 4/7/2025 FY2026 Published Levy Rates 3 3 FY2026 Published Levy Rates Percentage of Program Tax Levy Portion Levy Police and Fire $ 14.34057 63% Debt Service $ 3.32151 15% All Other Services $ 5.02482 22% Total City Levies $ 22.68690 100% Total $ 22.68690 4 4 2 4/7/2025 FY2026 Published Levy Rates Public Works $ 0.866700 Health & Social Services $ 0.118600 Culture & Recreation $ 2.92577 Community & Economic Development $ 0.174780 General Government $ 0.99257 Total Other $ 5.024820 5 5 FY2026 Published Levy Rates Non-Ag Change 2.699% Ag Change (.001%) Tax Rate Comparison-Current VS.Proposed Residential property with an Current Year Budget Year Percent Certified Proposed Change ActuaVAssessed Valuation of 5100.000/5110.000 2024/2025 2025/2026 City Regular Residential .. Commercial property with an Current Year Budget Year Percent Certified Proposed Change ActuaVAssessed Valuation of$300.0004330.000 2024/2025 2025/2026 City Regular Commercial -.:S _-239 Note Actual'Assessed Valuation is multiplied by a Rollback Percentage to get to the Taxable Valuation to calculate Property Taxes.Residential and commercial properties hale tare same rollback percentage through 5150.000of actual/assessed valuation. 6 3 4/7/2025 Balancing Act Analytics 8 8 Sessions by City Based on where Google Analytics thinks the user is when accessing the simulation. Waterloo:58(32.58,0 Other Cities 60(33.62%) Austin:4(225%) (rot sett 5(2.81%) Omaha:7(3.93%) San Manus:34(19.1%) Cedar Falls 10(5.62%) 9 9 4 4/7/2025 What can the City of Waterloo Improve? Answers provided: • Maintain our public library!It is a place for everyone,and belonging is important in this day and age. • Walkability and hiring qualified people within of government among friends and supporters of the mayor. It is increasingly clear from the outside that not enough folks are on the team who are willing to counter ideas. Diversity of perspective makes for more holistic decision-making. • I believe that the City of Waterloo should have a strong public library,and that can only be possible while funding it adequately.The power of Waterloo is in its people,and libraries are people's palaces for knowledge,information,and recreation. • Support for people,especially the home insecure • Implement a volunteer fire department. Waverly does it. About 80%of the U.S.population is served by volunteers. Also,compare the public library's staff/circulation ratio with other Iowa Public Libraries. You'll see that the library is over-staffed. Close the second floor and run all services on the first floor.You can get by with fewer paid staff and might even be able to increase circulation. Too many staff sitting around playing on the computers. • Manage money better and stop increasing our already ridiculously high taxes.Government is not for handouts to friends who go gamble it away,if you can't manage money,you don't get paid. • Lower property taxes • Cut some of the spending.Taxes from the city went up 3%last year,and another increase • Lower property taxes will bring more people and businesses to Waterloo.Businesses and residents are already struggling without the sharp increase in property taxes from year to year. 10 10 Revenue Suggestions Some decreases/increases examples received: • 1 out of 15 submissions wanted to use$750,000 in fund balance to lower the tax rate.The rest said no,do not use the fund balance. • 5 out of 15 wanted to decrease taxes • 7 out of 15 wanted to decrease the police budget,the rest wanted to increase it. • 6 out of 15 wanted to decrease the fire budget,the rest wanted to leave it the same • 2 out of 15 wanted to decrease the ambulance budget, 2 wanted to increase,rest wanted to leave it the same. Suggestions included: • Privatize Young Arena and the Sportsplex • Lower taxes will bring more people to Waterloo.The taxes here is to high for the amount of businesses and rec activities in the city. 11 11 5 4/7/2025 Other Expenditure Suggestions • I would love to see the City invest in updates to our public library.The new renovations to their Youth area are nice,but some parts of the building look shabby and like they haven't been replaced or updated in many,many years.I appreciate the work of our officers,but since they are getting new facilities in the new City Hall,I think the other city departments should get a leg up in this year's budget. • Public libraries are an essential part of a healthy community.They are a welcoming space to diverse populations,provide access to information,internet connection,education, literacy,digital literacy,community resources,job search and career support,programs, and cultural enrichment.The library benefits the community by providing for those most in need. At the same time as being a vital community resource,it's a great place for everyone to visit and scoop up and share the best new novel-reduce,reuse,recycle! • Reducing policing budgets and redirecting them toward ending poverty is a proactive way to reduce the need for police intervention.In my opinion,the decrease in police budget should not affect programs that are focused on harm reduction,like crisis social workers, de-escalation training for officers,trauma-informed practices,etc. • Infrastructure to house folks struggling with housing insecurity.Take from the police and invest in real public safety • Place efforts into people and building,not policing.Supporting people with naturally lower needs for police. • Budget cuts are needed and okay.Not every increase should fall on the taxpayers every year. • There are city buildings that could use repair and upkeep. 13 13 Other Expenditure Suggestions Continued • Providing more support for housing can help decrease the traumatic effects of poverty and homelessness. Housing first initiatives would be my first choice for some of the additional funds. • Some(maybe all because of the Sportsplex being a newer addition in need of less repair)of the additional funding could go to creating programming where community members who live below the poverty line have more access. • Providing green space is an essential in a community for encouraging mental and physical wellbeing.The additional funding could go toward providing programming and community events where those who live below the poverty line have access. • Some of the additional funding could go to creating programming where community members who live below the poverty line have more access. • Please,help the people of Waterloo,especially the home insecure.Give them services and resources 14 14 6 4/7/2025 FY2026 Proposed Budget 8 15 FY2026 Proposed Budget Published Tax Proposed Change from Levy Portion Tax Levy Published Program Portion Police and Fire $14.34057 $ 13.89168 $ (0.44889) Debt Service $3.32151 $ 3.20930 $ (0.11221) All Other Services $5.02482 $ 4.69062 $ (0.33420) Total City Levies $22.68690 $ 21.79160 $ (0.89530) 9 16 7 4/7/2025 FY2026 Proposed Budget Published Tax Proposed Tax Change from Program-Breakout of Other Levy Portion Levy Portion Published Building Inspections ($0.05360) $ (0.05607) $ (0.00247) Public Works $0.86670 $ 0.79490 $ (0.07180) Health &Social Services $0.11860 $ 0.11286 $ (0.00574) Culture & Recreation $2.92577 $ 2.78321 $ (0.14256) Community & Economic Development $0.17478 $ 0.16425 $ (0.01053) General Government $0.99257 $ 0.89147 $ (0.10110) Total Other $5.02482 $ 4.69062 $ (0.33420) 10 17 How is the tax bill on my home determined? FY2026 FY2026 FY2025 Published Proposed Certified Assessed Value $ 100,000 $ 100,000 $ 100,000 Times Rollback 0.474316 0.474316 0.463428 Equals Taxable Value $ 47,432 $ 47,432 $ 46,343 Divide by $1,000 47.4316 47.4316 46.3428 Times Total Tax Levy Rate $43.74201 $42.84671 $43.12949 Equals Total Tax Bill $2,074.75 $ 2,032.29 $1,998.74 City Portion of Tax Bill $1,076.08 $ 1,033.61 $1,022.99 Projected Annual Incr(Decr) $ 53.09 $ 10.62 $ 15.42 Percentage Incr(Decr) 4.93% 1.03% 1.51% 18 18 8 4/7/2025 FY2026 Proposed Budget Proposed Tax Levy Rate 21.79160 Non-Ag Change (1.27%) Ag Change (.001%) link.au(otaparhoo 4 must hopowl ko.11-.11,41 •sc,m s‘lm.r.. 10.u. I ill(111 Ire I1111411 flud:c1 1 cm hopord Polon 1 luagt WOO: 21/1.1 2111•1 2016 1'twat%co I trawl !ludo tmr Propowl rental 1 lisagt III I! Itt Replut orati . 12 51 N,(4.Ad.g tsscsNo: LI!fr$ k,attlAk ' .4 I ALIN. C, }.0,1 m. '4.44,..11111X71.1.11NtiILO tmmci&%UV rathad pcmtgaf c the44i4a I 410001uj1mci.scJ%alux...o 19 19 FY2026 General Fund Budget Impacts at Proposed Budget Net Change in General Fund Property Taxes Net increase in personnel expenses $1,646,638 Net decrease in other expenses ($1,733,556) Net decrease in revenue $703,702 Net increase in use of fund balance $(975,000) Total Net Decrease in General Fund ($358,216) Property Taxes 23 23 9 4/7/2025 FY2026 General Fund Budget Impacts at Proposed Budget Net Change in Property Taxes Decrease in General Fund property taxes ($358,216) Increase in Debt Service Fund property $893,904 taxes Overall Net Increase in Total Property $535,687 Taxes 24 24 How are Capital Project Funds used? $2,530,400 $5,750,000 3% 6% -: $1,500,000 ■Streets& $3,050,000 2% Trailways 3% $42,175 ■Traffic 0% Improvements ®Other 4,040,000 15% •TIF $27,500,000/ 30% •GO Issue Fiber , ,. Backbone Parks $37,000,000 Airport 41% For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 Funded by TIF,Bonds,FAA Funds,Grants 25 25 10 4/7/2025 Sewer Fund Budget Debt Service for Sewer System Improvements Plant&System $5,687,598 22% Maintenance Operations $10,395,862 40% System Improvements $9,670,000 38% For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 Funded by Sewer Fees and SRF Loans 19 26 Storm Water Fund Budget System Improvements_ $3,900,000 68% System Operations& Maintenance $1,425,425 25% Street Sweeping $425,152 For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 7% Funded by User Fees 27 27 11 4/7/2025 Sanitation Fund Budget Equipment Animal $800,000 Control 11% $506,670 7% Garbage& Yard Waste Code Disposal, Enforcement Recycling& $708,129 Neighborhood 9% Clean-ups $5,532,592 73% For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 Funded by User Fees 28 28 Road Use Tax Fund Budget Forestry Right-of Way Operations $1,217,299 Engineering 10% $1,548,524 Snow Removal 13% $1,859,792 15% Streets&Bridge Repair $2,100,000 17% Street Maintenance Traffic Operations $2,874,144 $2,026,645 23% 17% Traffic Signals Street Lights $108,150 $515,000 1% For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 4% Funded by State Fuel Tax 29 29 12 4/7/2025 Local Option Fund Budget $1,200,000 6% Transfer Out $845,660 $1,284,239 4% 6% Engineering Unimproved Street Repair $17,400,000 84% Street Repair& Construction For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 Funded by Local Option Taxes 23 30 Federal Block Grant Funds Budget Neighborhood Services $99,411 1% Administration &Other $2,547,481 28% Housing Rehab& Construction $6,561,839 71% For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 Funded by Federal Block Grant Funds 24 31 13 4/7/2025 Federal Housing Funds Budget Administration &Other Down Payment& $1,168,380 Other Assistance 15% $70,000 1% $398,180 Housing 5% Assistance Ridgeway Towers $6,178,620 /0 Senior Public 79 Housing For the Year Ending 6-30-2026 Funded by Federal Housing Funds 25 32 of wA rF Xiikiflao • III 1111.1 --I 1111• y �--- ♦ o Questions? Please contact City Hat to speak with Mayor Hart or Bridgett Wood with more questions. A special thank you to Mayor Hart,the City Council,the Finance Department Staff, and all City departments for their work to develop the budget and for the service they provide to our citizens year-round. 26 33 14