Finance director: property tax receipts arrived; sewer-lateral fund nearly exhausted

Finance Director Alexis Miller presented the city’s second-quarter variance report on Jan. 28, telling the Maplewood City Council that property-tax receipts have largely arrived, a number of budget lines reflect timing differences, and some dedicated funds require attention.

Miller said the city received most of its property-tax collections for the fiscal year and noted timing explains many variance figures in the packet. She highlighted several items of interest: fire department overtime is trending high because several firefighters are out on injury leave; the city logged $127,226.13 in street-construction capital spending related to Prop S projects that began before bond proceeds were available; and sewer-lateral expenditures of $34,177.52 have left the sewer-lateral account with under $8,800 available through June.

"We have spent almost all of our sewer lateral money for the year," Miller told the council, saying the line-item will need attention over the remainder of the fiscal year. On the capital side she said the prior Prop S project expenditures are allowable and will be transferred into the Prop S fund when bond proceeds arrive.

Miller also noted an unanticipated spike in solid-waste revenue: residents bought unusually large quantities of trash bags and tags before a scheduled price increase that took effect Jan. 1. The finance director supplied the council with a vendor list and said the packet included explanations for variances that fall outside a normal 40–60 percent range for year-to-date activity.

Council members asked clarifying questions about particular line items; Miller said many variances reflect one-time purchases or timing of receipts. She encouraged council members to direct follow-up questions to staff, and the council did not alter budget policy at the Jan. 28 meeting.