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Stephens City Council advances 2020-21 budget to May 26 public hearing
Summary
Council voted May 5 to send the proposed 2020-21 General Fund ($1,081,623) and Utility Fund ($699,500) budgets to a May 26 public hearing after the Finance Committee called the plan “very fair and lean.” The proposal includes major allocations for public safety and public works.
Councilman Joseph Hollis, chair of the Finance Committee, moved May 5 to advance the proposed 2020-21 budgets for Stephens City to a public hearing on May 26; the motion passed on a roll-call vote with Councilmembers Bowers, Fravel, Hollis, Nauman and Swygert-Smith voting Aye and Councilmember Tina Stevens absent.
The proposed General Fund totals $1,081,623 and the Utility Fund $699,500. Hollis said the committee had reviewed the numbers and found the budget “very fair and lean.” The draft allocates $451,095 for public safety and $320,042 for public works; water and sewer services are budgeted at $68,670 and $56,895 respectively.
Town Treasurer Steve Rickards, appearing with the financial attachments, told council that April had been a strong month and that rapid growth in new residents had created many new utility-account setups. The packet supplied detailed month-to-month revenue comparisons and bank balances, showing volatility in some revenue lines (meals, fines) and large year-to-year differences in escrowed availability fees and deposits.
Town Manager Mike Majher and staff presented assumptions used in the draft, including conservative estimates on meals and restaurant tax revenue and planned transfers to reserves and capital-improvement projects. Council members asked for clarifications on specific line items: Councilman Linden A. Fravel Jr. sought edits to the proposed Chapter 19 amendment language and Councilwoman Regina Swygert-Smith raised enforcement concerns about parking and speeding on Mulberry and Main Street.
Fire Chief Timothy Vaught reported the SCVFD has some budgetary concerns and agreed to keep council apprised of cash-flow percentages monitored by the county. The council approved the committee minutes and scheduled the required public hearing on May 26 to receive public comment and consider adoption.
