Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finance director briefs council: sales tax and utility receipts above budget; health claims remain elevated
Summary
Finance Director Michelle Ferguson reported Nov. 2025 revenues ahead of budget in several categories: sales tax roughly $1.4M over budget, utility taxes tracking about $1.7M over budget by year-end, property tax on target at +2% year-over-year; health and wellness fund claims remain higher than prior years and will be monitored in 2026.
City finance staff presented the November 2025 monthly financial report to the Committee of the Whole.
Michelle Ferguson of the Finance Department said sales tax receipts were estimated to come in about $1.4 million over budget for the year and roughly $100,000 below last year's total at this time. Utility taxes have been strong, averaging about $156,000 more per month than the prior year and are expected to be about $1.7 million over budget by year-end. Property tax collections were about 2% higher than at the same point in the previous year, consistent with statutory increases and new construction assumptions.
Ferguson highlighted that business-and-occupation collections appear lower as a percentage of budget due to timing (fourth-quarter and annual filings are pending), and that miscellaneous revenues and interest income have outperformed budget. She also noted that some transfers tied to ARPA activity explain current year-to-year fund differences and that many funds will be finalized with February transfers.
On the expenditure side, most funds are expected to come in under budget. Ferguson flagged the health and wellness fund as an exception: claims trended up mid-2024 through mid-2025 by about $200,000 per month compared with prior years and began rising again in October and November. Staff will monitor health claim trends in 2026 and return to council if adjustments are needed.
No formal action was taken beyond receipt of the report.
