Riverview holds public hearing on proposed 2025-26 budget; finance director outlines revenue mix and liabilities

The Riverview City Council held a public hearing May 19 on the proposed 2025-26 annual operating budget and supporting tax rates. Finance Director Anne Endorzinet presented highlights of the roughly 180-page document and fielded no council questions; the hearing was closed at 7:29 p.m. with a unanimous roll-call vote.

The presentation laid out the budget’s major revenue sources and fiscal pressures. "A majority is from tax — our tax collections," Finance Director Anne Endorzinet said, and she told the council the general fund budget includes just over $14,000,000 in revenue with property taxes comprising about 57 percent of that total. Endorzinet said charges to other funds amount to roughly $1,400,000 and that state shared revenue is about $2,000,000.

The presentation explained recent millage changes affecting the 2025-26 proposal: a 2-mill public safety assessment that increased revenues in 2024 and a decline in the voted debt millage tied to bond payments, which reduced the debt millage by about 1.2 mills. Endorzinet said those two changes together help explain the current revenue picture.

Endorzinet summarized enterprise and special fund situations: the municipal golf operation has run deficits for years and the city has raised rates to reduce that shortfall; the city expects increased water and sewer expenditures in the coming year and said cash is available to absorb those costs. Landfill/post-closure costs produce large fluctuations on an accrual basis because engineering assumptions change, she said; the city is "working on" a plan to address the landfill deficit.

On reserves and long-term liabilities, Endorzinet said the city’s general fund balance is about 15.9 percent, roughly $2,200,000, noting auditors generally recommend a fund balance of 15–25 percent. She also reviewed retirement and other-post-employment-benefit funding: the pension plan was about 87 percent funded as of the 2024 audit, while the OPEB (other post-employment benefits) trust was funded at about 5 percent; the city is contributing $200,000 annually toward OPEB under a landfill deficit-elimination plan.

Endorzinet emphasized payroll, fringe, retirement and OPEB costs drive the budget: "We're people. We provide a service," she said, noting wages and benefits represent a large portion of general-fund expenditures. The presentation closed with a reminder that detailed budget documents were posted online for public review.

The council received no public comments during the hearing. Council Member Gagnaga moved to close the hearing; Council Member O'Neil seconded. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with Council Members O'Neil, Pray, Robins, Mayor Pro Tem Webb and Gagnaga voting yes; Mayor Swift and Council Member Workman were excused.

Council members did not take final action on the budget at the hearing; this session served as the formal public review required before later action.