Council reviews draft 2025 budget; general fund shows roughly $184,000 shortfall

The City Council reviewed a draft 2025 budget that projects roughly $39.7 million in total revenue across funds and shows a general-fund shortfall of about $184,000 against proposed expenditures.

City staff walked the council through revenue assumptions and department requests. Staff said property-tax revenue projections include a 2.9% CPI assumption and 1.6% growth and noted that recent house-bill changes will not affect growth until a later year. Sales tax year-to-date was running slightly above last year and the city’s bank-franchise receipts were uncertain. Staff said federal grants and intergovernmental funds include an anticipated 85/15 federal/local match for a bus grant the city has applied for.

Department requests discussed included a $6,000 annual support request for the VFW senior program and a request from the local hockey association for $8,000 toward a scoreboard and lighting; the scoreboard quote returned at about $9,100. Staff noted the lease agreement (cited in the packet) states the city does not pay for building or exterior items, so staff did not include the scoreboard expense in the draft budget and suggested the hockey association pursue outside grants such as the Bridal Community Foundation.

The fire department’s request was noted in the packet at about $518,000; staff said they included the normal budget amount rather than the full requested figure. Other items flagged during the review included:

- TIF (tax-increment financing) expectations: staff said TIF 8 (Aspen Ridge) was budgeted with an estimated $395,000 in revenue but that the city’s TIF plan retains 20% for future Aspen Boulevard work. Staff said they do not anticipate revenue for TIF 9 (River Park) this year.

- Parks and capital projects: staff described a $100,000 line for making a barn weatherproof and noted the city does not yet own the barn; Aspen parking design and pool parking improvements were put on a planning timeline. Pool parking design cannot be approved until after 04/08/2026, and staff said they hope to bid construction after the pool closes in the following season.

- Public safety/callouts: staff proposed adding a siren in Aspen Ridge to improve coverage and discussed potential timing in 2026–27 based on topography. The council also discussed an increase in CDL-certification training funds ($6,000 proposed) to pay for two CDL trainings; staff noted that requiring repayment if an employee fails or leaves would create an enforceable contract.

- Service and operating items: staff reported small revenue changes in planning fees, pool fees and golf revenues (including a new anticipated revenue category “simulator rent”), and noted an expected increase in interest income from invested funds.

At the end of the presentation, staff summarized the draft general fund position as approximately $184,000 short in revenue versus proposed expenditures. Council scheduled additional review and follow-up; staff said they will return with refined figures and with expenditure-side details at later sessions.

Quotes in the record include the mayor’s prompt to begin the budget review: “Let’s go to work on the budget,” and staff’s summary that “general fund’s about 184,000 short revenue versus expenditures.”