Finance staff presents redesigned monthly report; general fund shows small year‑to‑date deficit

Finance staff presented a redesigned monthly financial report, highlighting year‑to‑date performance through September. With 25 percent of the fiscal year complete, the general fund showed $4.2 million in revenue (23.7% of the annual budget) and $4.1 million in expenditures (22.8% of the budget), for an approximate $114,000 deficit after accounting for transfers and an estimated TIF payment.

The presentation included sales‑tax detail and NAICS‑category breakdowns (retail, services, manufacturing, utilities). Staff noted retail and hotel/restaurant categories were up year‑over‑year for September while services and manufacturing showed declines. Use tax activity and potential future bumps related to regional distribution facilities were discussed as possible future revenue drivers.

Council requested additional clarifications in future reports: a dollar‑value breakdown that shows how the 10¢ sales tax is allocated (city share, county share, state, TIF, other), comparable cities' tax rates and allocations, and an explicit column showing county shares for nearby comparable jurisdictions. Finance staff agreed to incorporate those changes in the next report. Staff also reiterated the importance of rebuilding the emergency fund (target roughly $4 million) after prior withdrawals for capital emergency needs.