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Garden City council approves FY2025–26 budget amendments, treasurer cautions on apparent $1.9M fund‑balance figure
Summary
The Garden City Council on June 22 approved amendments to four funds for FY2025–26, establishing budgets for the Neighborhood Stabilization and Capital Projects funds and front‑loading transfers tied to fire station improvements. Treasurer Shannon Shepard said the $1.9 million figure is a balancing number and not the expected actual transfer.
The Garden City City Council voted unanimously June 22 to approve fiscal year 2025–26 budget amendments covering four funds, including the Downtown Development Authority, a newly established Neighborhood Stabilization fund, the General Fund and a newly established Capital Projects fund.
Treasurer Shannon Shepard told the council the measures set up revenue and expense lines for projects the city will reimburse through grants and for capital work on the fire station. Shepard said some figures on paper—most notably what appears as a $1.9 million use of fund balance—are a bookkeeping device used to make the amendment totals balance.
"That 1.9 million again is just to make the amendments balance essentially," Shepard said, adding that the city expects unspent departmental savings to reduce the actual transfer. Shepard estimated that, removing the fire station project (roughly $1.4–$1.5 million), the city would likely end the year with about a $650,000 surplus rather than a multimillion‑dollar drawdown.
Council members pressed for clarity on the fund‑balance outlook. Council Member King asked whether the city would end the year closer to the smaller projected use of fund balance; members cited the council's 25 percent reserve target and urged attention to rebuilding reserves in future budgets.
The ordinance establishing the capital projects fund also authorizes the city to frontload expenditures for a sidewalk improvement program that will be reimbursed through grant funding, Shepard said.
The council voted to approve the amendments as presented; the motion passed 7–0. The council will monitor year‑end savings and reported reimbursements that will reduce the net use of fund balance.
The city clerk recorded the motion and vote; the amendment was introduced and discussed at the June 22 meeting. The council did not set any additional conditions on the transfers at the time of approval.
