Budget preview: new forester, three officers and a proposed property tax increase
April 19, 2022, 4:04 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
At a budget work session led by Councilmember Clark Taylor in the mayor's absence, American Fork's finance director previewed the FY2023 general fund, which adds a forester, three police officers, records staff and a firefighter. Staff modeled a property tax increase of about $169 a year per household for public safety and roads. Several councilmembers questioned hiring a full-time forester.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| FY2023 general fund and fleet fund | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Budget
FY2023 general fund and fleet fund
Discussed
Finance Director Anna Montoya presented the FY2023 general fund. The fund balance grew from under $3 million in 2019 to $11 million in 2021. Personnel up 9.1% and operations 20.3%, driven by inflation, a tight labor market and growth. Proposed additions: a full-time assistant city administrator, a full-time forester and tree division, a part-time Spanish outreach liaison at the library, three police officers (six requested), two part-time GRAMA records specialists, a firefighter/paramedic, and a streets technician. Shelton, Taylor and Carroll questioned a full-time forester. The working tax scenario raised the rate from .001448 to .001948, about $1.7 million or $169 per household per year.
- Public safety is 49% of the general fund; personnel 65%.
- Police capital: five replacement, three additional and two unmarked vehicles.
- Fire Station 52 staffing goal: six more to staff another ambulance.
- Shelton asked that the court lease increase being negotiated with the state go to police and asked for a copy of the agreement.
- Permit revenue: about $2 million in 2021 versus $1.386 million budgeted for 2022.