The Carroll City Council is diving into the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budgeting process tomorrow (Monday) with their first work session on the topic. City Manager, Mike Pogge-Weaver, says the annual budget is the most important policymaking document that officials prepare and approve each year. He says staff has been working for months to put together a preliminary budget and work plan, but the council will be able to make adjustments as they see fit.
City leaders identified five potential new initiatives for the upcoming budget year in addition to existing priorities. These include: airport runway lighting, cemetery improvements, updates to the city’s comprehensive plan, creation of a five-to-10-year plan for implementation of Corridor of Commerce 2.0, and sidewalk expansion near Pleasant Ridge Road. Mayor, Mark Beardmore, notes this plan and the resulting preliminary budget were created with input from individuals who are no longer on the council and is concerned it may not reflect the priorities of the current council. Pogge-Weaver says the city council is a continuous body and it takes time to implement changes from new members.
The preliminary budget in its current form projects total FY23 revenues at $35.31 million and total expenses at $33.96 million. The total assessed valuation within Carroll city limits increased by 1.13 percent from last year, but the taxable valuation declined by 1.54 percent due to the rollbacks. This led to an initial proposal from city staff for a property tax rate of $12.14 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, which is a $0.49 increase from FY22. However, homeowners can expect to pay nearly the same in city taxes as last year due to the additional rollback on residential properties. The council’s Monday, Jan. 17 work session begins at 5:15 p.m. at Carroll City Hall. The meeting is open to the public. It will also be livestreamed via the city’s YouTube channel and televised via CAAT6. Several budget sessions are planned with the second scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 19.
