Fruita council approves consent agenda, accepts December 2024 financial reports and amends recruitment and legal budgets

The Fruita City Council approved the consent agenda and unanimously accepted the December 2024 financial reports during its meeting. Council also recorded budget amendments to finish the city manager recruitment process and to cover a 2024 legal expense overage.

A resident, Tessa Bynum, asked for transparency about recruitment spending after an earlier allocation of $25,000 for the city manager search. City staff explained the original $25,000 budget included $22,500 for the executive recruiter, Columbia Ltd., and a $2,500 contingency. Staff said the city spent about $23,000 for recruitment services in 2024 and that an additional $4,500 in travel expenses for three finalists (and their spouses/per diems/hotels) were incurred in 2025. Because $2,000 carried forward was available from 2024, staff said the net additional request for the 2025 budget was smaller than the headline figure. Councilors and staff clarified the accounting is driven by the year the expense is incurred and that state/local budget procedures require amending the budget in the year costs are booked.

Finance Director Jose (identified in the meeting as Jose, finance director, City of Fruita) presented the December 2024 financial reports and said total tax revenues were slightly above budget—roughly $11.5 million collected versus an $11.2 million estimate—with property tax, interest income and some permit revenue exceeding expectations. Jose said use tax on building materials and motor vehicle use taxes were down versus 2023 in part because of timing differences and one earlier misfile that was corrected with a $94,000 adjustment received in January. He said the city uses cash-basis booking during the year and applies modified accrual at year end for financial statements.

Council approved the consent agenda by a 6‑0 vote and accepted the December financial report by a 6‑0 vote. The meeting record shows a separate vote (6‑0) approving the contingency budget amendments on the consent agenda; details for the recruitment amendment were discussed publicly during the consent review. A separate budget amendment transferred $10,000 to cover a 2024 general‑fund legal overrun; staff said only one program in 2024 exceeded its budget and the transfer is intended to clean up the auditors’ financial statements.

Votes at the meeting included a 6‑0 approval of the consent agenda, a 6‑0 acceptance of the December 2024 financial reports, and later a separate council vote (5‑1) to enter executive session on pending county court condemnation cases (see separate record).