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City adopts retirement-plan restatement and 2023 budget amendment; millage rate set for later hearing
Summary
At its June 26 meeting, the Avondale Estates Board of Mayor and Commissioners approved a required restatement to the city's defined-benefit retirement plan and adopted a 2023 budget amendment; the millage rate was presented at first reading and will be heard at a public hearing.
The Avondale Estates Board of Mayor and Commissioners voted unanimously on June 26 to approve a technical restatement of the city's defined-benefit retirement plan and to adopt a 2023 budget amendment aligning the books to audited figures.
Manager Patrick told the board the retirement-plan amendments were required by updates to the federal tax code and do not change benefits for participants. "None of the amendments to the plan actually affect our plan or any participants therein," Patrick said, adding the restatement was procedural to comply with IRS changes. Commissioner Lisa moved to adopt the ordinance and Mike seconded; the board approved the measure on voice vote.
The board also considered and adopted a 2023 budget amendment after staff presented final audited results. Patrick said the most significant change was a recommended reduction to the property-tax revenue line (transcript phrase recorded as "down 300 2,769"; the exact figure in the record is unclear), noting two causes: the county's timing on collecting and remitting utility taxes (which Patrick described as about $660,000 being remitted in the 2024 calendar year for 2023 and 2024 receipts) and successful value appeals that reduced the digest. He also said fines and forfeitures declined by roughly $30,000–$35,000 and that staff recorded an unexpected capital expense for a water line to the Scout Hut. When a commissioner asked whether the numbers were final, Patrick replied, "they're final, final."
Both ordinances were considered on first read by unanimous-consent procedure and then voted on the same night. The chair called the votes as unanimous; the board recorded five "aye" votes on the budget adoption. The first reading of the ordinance to set the 2024 millage rate was presented but not adopted; the chair reminded the public that a separate public hearing on the millage rate will be held.
The votes are recorded in the meeting transcript as follows: approval of the defined-benefit retirement-plan restatement (mover: Lisa; seconder: Mike; outcome: approved by voice vote) and adoption of the 2023 budget amendment (mover: Lisa; seconder: Ron; outcome: approved by voice vote). The minutes and prior meeting records were also approved by voice vote early in the meeting.
Next steps: the millage-rate ordinance will return for a public hearing; no further implementation deadlines for the retirement-plan restatement or budget amendment were specified during the meeting.
