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Presenter outlines El Dorado's 2025 budget: $35.3M total, $7.1M from property taxes and $2.99M general fund shortfall
Summary
A presenter for El Dorado explained the adopted 2025 budget, saying the city's $35.3 million budget included $7.1 million in property taxes (about 35% of the total) and that the general fund ran a $2.99 million deficit after transfers; a public engagement session is set for March 2.
A presenter for the city of El Dorado walked through the city's adopted 2025 budget and said the total budget for 2025 was $35,300,000, with $7,100,000—about 35%—coming from property taxes. "Now, as you can see, the city's total budget in 2025 was $35,300,000," the presenter said.
The presenter distinguished between the adopted budget and 2025 actuals, noting the adopted budget was approved by the city commission in September 2024. "So in other words, the 2025 budget was approved by the city commission in September 2024," the presenter said, explaining that adopted figures differ from what was actually collected and spent.
On the revenue side, the presenter said property taxes were the top revenue source for the general fund in 2025, reporting actual property-tax receipts of $4,400,000. Other 2025 general-fund revenues listed were franchise fees $1,980,000, sales tax $1,650,000, miscellaneous fees $940,000, fire protection and hazmat fees $720,000, interest $560,000 and other taxes $490,000 for a total reported general-fund revenue of $10,800,000.
On the expense side, the presenter said police and fire together accounted for a little more than $5,000,000 in general-fund spending, with engineering, administration, legal and municipal court, cemetery, animal control and facility maintenance also funded from the general fund. The presenter reported a general-fund subtotal of $9,290,000 before transfers.
The city transferred $4,500,000 out of the general fund for functions such as street maintenance, bringing total general-fund expenses to $13,790,000. "We subtract the 2 numbers and there's our deficit of $2,990,000," the presenter said, adding that the city chose to spend down fund balance in 2025 to align with its fund-balance policy.
The presenter emphasized that the $7.1 million in property taxes represents roughly 35% of the total adopted budget and that the remaining 65% comes from other revenue sources. He said more detailed breakdowns of department budgets and transfers will appear in follow-up videos and announced a community engagement opportunity on March 2 to solicit resident priorities for the 2027 budget.
The presentation was an overview and did not include a formal vote or ordinance; the presenter framed the deficit as a policy choice to draw down fund balance rather than as a legislative action.
