Perry City Council approves FY2025 budget amendment to allocate grants, billing revenue and building repairs

The Perry City Council approved Resolution 2025-02, a fiscal-year 2025 budget amendment, during the Feb. 13 meeting. The amendment adjusts revenues and appropriations across the general, utility and capital-project funds to account for new or previously unrecognized grant and billing amounts and to cover several near-term expenses.

Finance staff proposed the amendment to bring $6,984 in a tree grant received at the end of FY2024 into the FY2025 budget and to recognize about $28,818 in subdivision-billing revenue now tracked as receivables in the city’s financial system. The proposal also included a $984 increase to the city’s employee-assistance program (EAP) contract, which staff said reflects a vendor price increase and new state requirements to make certain mental-health resources available to first responders and volunteers.

Parks expenditures tied to the tree grant were identified: $3,295 for a tree inventory and $2,705 for tree removal, to be paid from the grant. Finance staff said the subdivision-billing revenue will be offset by corresponding engineering expenditures and is cost-neutral in the long run.

In the utility fund, staff requested using $5,550 of available fund balance to cover higher merchant-credit-card costs the city absorbed after switching payment vendors and enabling express bill pay; staff said the policy reduced fees for customers and increased convenience while modestly increasing the city’s take-rate expense.

Capital projects funding: council approved using the capital-projects appropriation to cover a $33,001.89 contractor bid to repair and extend the life of the metal roof at City Hall; the capital project fund contained $35,000 this fiscal year for building maintenance, leaving a small remaining balance after the repair appropriation.

Finance staff summarized net changes as a $35,008 amendment overall; staff noted most changes were grant recognition and billing offsets, and that the only sustained new ongoing cost identified in the amendment was the $984 EAP contract increase. Council opened a public hearing (no public comments were received in person or online), then moved, seconded and approved the resolution by roll call. Recorded votes were: Council member Young — Yes; Council member Walker — Yes; Council member Osler — Yes; Council member Wright — Yes; Council member Tudor — Yes. The motion passed and the resolution was adopted.

Council directed staff to continue limiting midyear budget amendments where possible and to proceed with the roof repairs and grant-funded park-tree work under the amended appropriations.