Boerne's City Council recently got an earful about budget expectations for the upcoming fiscal year, gearing up for a series of public meetings to fine-tune the numbers. The City is now deep in the operationalizing phase, which, according to a report by My Boerne News, involves a scrutinized look at departmental spendings, the city's operating and capital budget, and annual projects.
City Manager Ben Thatcher was keen to highlight this isn't just about crunching numbers; there's a strategy playing out, one that seemingly to always keep one step ahead, involves attention to detail and a full-year cycle of planning and budget refinement. The city leverages feedback from its residents through biennial surveys and during master plan developments to inform where funds should be directed.
Finance Director Sarah Buckelew says the budget's big-ticket items for FY 2025 are shaped around combating inflation, keeping the city's workforce content, and pushing forward with infrastructure and quality of life improvements. "Manage Inflationary Cost Increases" and "Maintain Employer of Choice Status" top the list, with emphasis on advancing capital improvement projects and providing tax relief for residents.
Despite economic challenges, the City appears to have sailed through stormy seas with relative steadiness; officials anticipate inflation to decelerate from its 2022 peak while interest rates potentially to fall. Buckelew expects, as stated in My Boerne News, that the city's benefit costs will remain under the national average, despite the Employee Cost Index's prediction of a 4.8% bump in wages and benefits, numbers due to be finalized by the end of June.
Sales tax revenue remains a bright spot for Boerne, with events such as Dickens on Main stimulating the local economy. The absence of solar eclipses, which provided a rare boost in the current fiscal year, means FY 2025 will have to do without that extra sunshine, but growth is still projected at a healthy 5-6%. On the property tax front, preliminary data suggests a 10% increase in home values, although this won't translate directly into a similar hike in property taxes, per details from the Kendall County Appraisal District due by July 25.
In a move that should bring some relief to residents, the strategy includes a plan to cut down the maintenance and operations budget portion, keeping in line with the City's aim to alleviate some tax burdens. For those keen on keeping tabs, the budget process timeline is laid out with workshops, reviews, and two public hearings scheduled between July and September, before the official adoption of the budget and tax rate. More specifics on key dates can be found in the comprehensive report from My Boerne News.
