Denison City council narrows FY budget gap to about $412,000, asks staff for line-item detail and follow-up

Denison City councilors spent the meeting poring over the draft fiscal-year budget, cutting several projected expenses and asking staff for more detailed line-item breakdowns before final adoption. Staff presented a revised projection showing the general fund deficit narrowed to a negative $412,147.44 from an earlier $832,000 estimate.

Staff member (S4) told the council that the revision reflected recent adjustments across departments and that several revenue items remain to be received. "As of right now we've gone from 832,000 in the negative down to 412,147.44," S4 said, adding that some county and state backfill figures are still pending. Councilors pressed for clarity on whether proposed amounts—such as an $80,000 figure discussed for one department—include part-time wages and overtime or cover only a single full-time salary.

Council member (S3) emphasized the need to itemize part-time maintenance hours separately. "If we assume we're gonna have more part-time hours out there this year, I'd want that to be somehow separate in the budget," S3 said, arguing the city should give department managers flexibility but also make staffing costs transparent.

The council directed follow-ups on several program and revenue items that affect the final numbers. In particular, members asked staff to:

- Break down salary line items to show full-time wages, part-time help and overtime separately; - Verify recent tourism and event revenues, including Hot Summer Nights and barbecue grants, and provide profit-and-loss statements where available; - Confirm the treatment of a $5,000 annual payment from the chamber under a development agreement and record whether those funds should move from TIF into the general fund per state guidance; - Return with a clearer schedule for strategic planning so capital priorities (e.g., facility repairs, retaining walls, HVAC) can be matched to funding over the next five years.

Councilors said they favored targeted cuts over across-the-board reductions and asked department liaisons to inspect facilities and submit prioritized repair lists. "If you find something, it's easier to let me know, call or email or whatever than it is to, like, be blindsided at a council meeting," S4 said.

S4 also told the council that automation of accounts-payable and improvements to the website could reduce staff workload, and that if those systems come online as expected some departments' hours could remain at the current 37.5-hour workweek instead of moving to 40 hours.

The council did not take formal votes on budget adoption at the meeting; members agreed to another deep-dive session once the outstanding revenue and contract clarifications are provided.