Tooele staff propose modest budget adjustments for IT, roads and sidewalk program

Tooele — During the May 21 work meeting, Finance Director Shannon Wimmer reviewed several minor adjustments to the city’s tentative budget and answered council questions about priorities, carryover projects and the city’s sidewalk replacement program.

Wimmer said staff proposed adding $15,000 to the IT budget for server-monitoring software and a small $9 adjustment to public-defender pay to round cost-of-living increases. She also said the public-works director requested $200,000 for a slurry-seal project and $400,000 for additional road-improvement work; Wimmer said those dollars are available in the relevant fund and staff recommended allocating them now.

"After presenting you with the tentative budget at the last council meeting, we just wanted to give you an opportunity to see if there were any specific items you wanted to discuss," Wimmer said. She told the council she had not prepared a formal presentation and was available to answer questions from members.

Council members and staff also discussed employee pay, and Wimmer and other staff confirmed the tentative budget includes a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for employees rather than 2.0% as earlier misstated. The council’s budget kickoff and subsequent staff meetings were described as the forum where priorities were set and carryover items identified.

The sidewalk 50/50 replacement program drew extended questions. Wimmer said the city expects roughly $21,000 in public payments this fiscal year, which paired with the city match implies about $42,000 in sidewalks completed to date; she also said the 50/50 fund still carries approximately $136,000 in unspent balance for future projects. Staff described how applications arrive, how the city prioritizes urgent repairs and how the city sometimes fully funds repairs for properties with severe needs instead of using the 50/50 split.

Council members praised the streets department’s responsiveness to resident requests and asked staff to ensure unfinished projects and active contracts are carried forward to the next fiscal year budget where needed. Wimmer said staff will hold additional budget review meetings with department heads over the next two weeks and will present carryover items and recommended final adjustments before the council adopts the budget in June.

No formal budget adoption occurred during the work meeting; staff said the adoption is scheduled for the council’s second June meeting and that detailed answers would be provided as council members submit questions ahead of that meeting.