City Awaits Word From State On Budget; Tax Rate Likely Flat
December 19, 2017 at 5:28 p.m.
By David [email protected]
A 1782 Notice is a notice to units of government issued by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance indicating what actions the DLGF has taken with respect to the units’ budgets, tax rates and tax levies for the following year. The notices generally are issued by the DLGF in December through January, and each taxing unit has 10 days to respond electronically to it.
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“The 1782 Notice, obviously we’re waiting on that. (We’re) pretty confident it’ll be here soon. (We) believe we have 10 working business days to respond to that. With that being said, we’ve solicited line 1 cuts for the 2018 budget from all of our department heads. Had some preliminary looks at those, and preliminary look at the budget as it stands right now – we’re looking at really a pretty flat tax rate for next year. Probably under a penny increase if it comes out the way it’s looking right now. We’ll wait and see how things come through, but I think we’re in pretty decent shape,” he said.
Once the notice comes in, the council will have to approve the line 1 cuts and any additional cuts the council members want to make to the 2018 budget.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. The council may have to schedule a special meeting to respond to the state, depending on when the city receives the notice.
Thallemer also updated the council on the city’s State Revolving Fund sewage loan closing last week.
“Pretty happy about that. From the SRF, from AFI, in their press release, they said we saved over $3.8 million by using them and that loan instead of going out on the open bond market,” he said. “I’m really proud of our legal and financial advisors that sent us in that direction. The early meetings we had with AFI obviously paid off, so we’re looking for a similar type of arrangement in 2018 with part II, but again, I think that’s pretty significant over the life of the loan.”
The city is planning a $41 million sewer project, including $10.1 million in improvements to sewer lines and manholes in phase I. Phase I will be financed using the SRF loan.
Phase II will involve a $30 million expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, mandated by the state.
Council President Mike Klondaris asked if the fund would be available again to the city next year for part II of the sewer project. Thallemer said it would.
“I think our (interest) rate ended up at 2.3 percent. So the rate will still be well below the market rate,” he said.
In other business, the council approved:
• The elected salary ordinance on second reading. It was approved at the last council meeting in November and has to be approved by year’s end.
The ordinance establishes maximum compensation levels for 2018 for elected officials and appointed positions for the city.
• Reappointing Klondaris and Rick Snodgrass to the Redevelopment Commission for one-year terms; Dan Robinson to the Economic Development Commission for two years; and Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins to the Warsaw Community Development Corporation for three years.
• Transferring a total of $9,000 in the human resources department budget for the purchase of an interactive monitor, as requested by HR Director Jennifer Whitaker. She said it will be used for training purposes.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner said many of the city’s departments can use it.
“It pretty much replaces a piece of paper and pen. It’s technology. ... It’s an interactive whiteboard that also can be interfaced with a computer so you can give a presentation on it,” he said.
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A 1782 Notice is a notice to units of government issued by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance indicating what actions the DLGF has taken with respect to the units’ budgets, tax rates and tax levies for the following year. The notices generally are issued by the DLGF in December through January, and each taxing unit has 10 days to respond electronically to it.
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“The 1782 Notice, obviously we’re waiting on that. (We’re) pretty confident it’ll be here soon. (We) believe we have 10 working business days to respond to that. With that being said, we’ve solicited line 1 cuts for the 2018 budget from all of our department heads. Had some preliminary looks at those, and preliminary look at the budget as it stands right now – we’re looking at really a pretty flat tax rate for next year. Probably under a penny increase if it comes out the way it’s looking right now. We’ll wait and see how things come through, but I think we’re in pretty decent shape,” he said.
Once the notice comes in, the council will have to approve the line 1 cuts and any additional cuts the council members want to make to the 2018 budget.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. The council may have to schedule a special meeting to respond to the state, depending on when the city receives the notice.
Thallemer also updated the council on the city’s State Revolving Fund sewage loan closing last week.
“Pretty happy about that. From the SRF, from AFI, in their press release, they said we saved over $3.8 million by using them and that loan instead of going out on the open bond market,” he said. “I’m really proud of our legal and financial advisors that sent us in that direction. The early meetings we had with AFI obviously paid off, so we’re looking for a similar type of arrangement in 2018 with part II, but again, I think that’s pretty significant over the life of the loan.”
The city is planning a $41 million sewer project, including $10.1 million in improvements to sewer lines and manholes in phase I. Phase I will be financed using the SRF loan.
Phase II will involve a $30 million expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, mandated by the state.
Council President Mike Klondaris asked if the fund would be available again to the city next year for part II of the sewer project. Thallemer said it would.
“I think our (interest) rate ended up at 2.3 percent. So the rate will still be well below the market rate,” he said.
In other business, the council approved:
• The elected salary ordinance on second reading. It was approved at the last council meeting in November and has to be approved by year’s end.
The ordinance establishes maximum compensation levels for 2018 for elected officials and appointed positions for the city.
• Reappointing Klondaris and Rick Snodgrass to the Redevelopment Commission for one-year terms; Dan Robinson to the Economic Development Commission for two years; and Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins to the Warsaw Community Development Corporation for three years.
• Transferring a total of $9,000 in the human resources department budget for the purchase of an interactive monitor, as requested by HR Director Jennifer Whitaker. She said it will be used for training purposes.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner said many of the city’s departments can use it.
“It pretty much replaces a piece of paper and pen. It’s technology. ... It’s an interactive whiteboard that also can be interfaced with a computer so you can give a presentation on it,” he said.
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