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City administrator lays out Fort Scott City budget, reserve target and next decisions
Summary
City staff presented a budget overview that targets a $1.2 million ending fund balance (about 17% of expenses) and outlined three near‑term decisions — maintaining a flat mill levy, potential lake‑lot sales and use of county dispatch reimbursement if land sales do not materialize.
The City Administrator presented the proposed Fort Scott City budget and said staff is aiming for an ending general‑fund balance of $1,200,000, or roughly 65 days of operating reserve.
"The ending fund balance we're aiming at is 1,200,000," the City Administrator said, adding that the figure represents about 17% of expenses. Staff told the council that personnel costs will make up roughly 70% of general‑fund expenses and that revenues are split broadly: about one‑third property tax, about one‑third sales tax and the remainder from other sources including use tax.
The administrator described the municipal fund structure — separate checkbook‑style funds for general operations, special revenues (streets, golf, CVB) and three utility funds (water, wastewater, stormwater) — and said debt service and capital projects are tracked separately on a project basis.
Staff highlighted three immediate policy decisions for the council: whether to keep a flat mill levy, whether to proceed with proposed lake‑lot sales as a one‑time revenue source, and how to treat a county dispatch reimbursement that could offset general‑fund debt service. Staff also said it will assemble council questions and send an anonymized Q&A packet before the next meeting so members can review details ahead of a public hearing.
