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City Council adopts 2024 budget, salaries
Without fanfare, the Greencastle City Council took unanimous action at its recent October meeting on second and final reading of ordinances dealing with an $11.4 million city budget, 2024 appropriations and tax rate, salaries of city employees and elected officials’ pay.
According to Ordinance 2023-4 for appropriations and tax rates for 2024, the adopted city budget will be $11,398,252 with a tax levy of $4,354,736 and an adopted tax rate of $1.7370 per $100 assessed valuation. The city General Fund will total $5,595,086 with $2,356,200 to be raised via tax levy at a $0.9525 tax rate.
Meanwhile, a total of $4,549,101 in home-rule funds -- those not routinely reviewed by the Department of Local Government and Finance -- were included in the accounting, including $2,327,461 in unspent American Recovery Plan (ARP) Coronavirus recovery funds that must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026, along with $2,044,290 in Public Safety LOIT (Local Option Income Tax) funds.
Mayor Bill Dory previously noted that some of the ARP funds are expected to be used on the Toddson Drive sewer project. After that money is spent, the fund will drop off city ledgers.
Meanwhile, Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar also previously addressed some interesting aspects of the 2024 city budget:
• The budget “really hasn’t changed much this year,” she said, with the exception of an increase in funds for Rural Transit Services from $15,000 to $30,00 and a bump in the contribution to the Putnam County Humane Society to $11,000. Both are to be paid out of city EDIT (Economic Development Income Tax) funds.
• Five percent across-the-board raises are included for all city employees, including City Council members.
• Up to $1,000 may be paid out as bonuses to city employees, to be granted upon determination by the City Council and mayor.
• The city will pay $1,000 to each employee’s HSA account on a semi-annual basis if the employee is enrolled in the city health insurance benefit.
• The city’s 2024 assessed valuation “has been understated on all funds,” Dunbar said, meaning that when and if a higher assessed valuation is certified, the tax rate will go down accordingly.
• The city will be paying more in PERF (Public Employee Retirement Fund) contributions for police and fire employees.
Meanwhile, the biggest change in the salary ordinance lies in the Utility Department where the city has been encouraging employees to obtain more certifications, which can result in pay increases.
Ordinance 2023-6, which sets salaries for elected officials for 2024, lists the salary for the mayor at $79,094; city clerk-treasurer, $75,425; and the seven Council members at $8,736 each for a total of $61,753.
Councilor Stacie Langdon made the motion to adopt the ordinance for appropriations and tax rates, Cody Eckert offered the motion to approve adoption of Ordinance 2023-5, establishing the size of department and fixing salaries for employees and certain other appointed officials, while Council President Mark Hammer made the motion to adopt the ordinance for 2024 salaries of elected city officials.
All the budget- and salary-related city ordinances were passed and adopted unanimously.
Additional action from the October City Council meeting will be included in a later article.