Notice of Budget Public Hearing

 NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING              

A public meeting of the Lowell City Council will be held on June 4, 2024 at 7:00 pm at the Lowell Rural Fire Protection District meeting room, 389 N. Pioneer St., Lowell, Oregon 97452. An option to view and participate in the meeting electronically is available. For instructions on how to join electronically, visit the city website at www.ci.lowell.or.us or call (541) 937-2157. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024 as approved by the Lowell Budget Committee. Public comments will be taken in written format as well as in person at the meeting location. Written comments received by 4:00 pm on June 4, 2024 will be read during the public hearing section of the meeting on June 4, 2024. Written comments may be mailed to PO Box 490, Lowell, OR 97452, emailed to admin@ci.lowell.or.us, or delivered in person to City Hall at 70 N. Pioneer St., Lowell, OR 97452. A summary of the budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at 70 N. Pioneer St., Lowell, OR 97452 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or online at www.ci.lowell.or.us or. This budget is for an annual budget period.  This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is the same as the preceding year.  

Contact: City Administrator Jeremy Caudle                     Telephone: (541) 937-2157

Email: admin@ci.lowell.or.us

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - RESOURCES

TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS

Actual Amount

Adopted Budget

Approved Budget

2022-2023

This Year 2023-2024

Next Year 2024-2025

Beginning Fund Balance/Net Working Capital

1,463,365

1,172,379

1,563,567

Fees, Licenses, Permits, Fines, Assessments & Other Service Charges

1,272,643

1,241,326

1,328,505

Federal, State & all Other Grants, Gifts, Allocations & Donations

380,680

460,175

1,205,596

Revenue from Bonds and Other Debt

230,224

660,224

0

Interfund Transfers / Internal Service Reimbursements

0

197,090

0

All Other Resources Except Current Year Property Taxes

476,404

479,962

353,889

Current Year Property Taxes Estimated to be Received

187,987

182,370

205,095

     Total Resources

4,011,303

4,393,526

4,656,652

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION

Personnel Services

553,872

671,790

700,296

Materials and Services

846,268

944,479

978,498

Capital Outlay

502,252

1,597,603

2,255,158

Debt Service

472,635

420,713

280,505

Interfund Transfers

0

131,542

0

Contingencies

0

380,007

360,309

Special Payments

0

0

0

Unappropriated Ending Balance and Reserved for Future Expenditure

1,636,282

247,392

81,886

     Total Requirements

4,011,309

4,393,526

4,656,652

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS AND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES (FTE) BY ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT OR PROGRAM

Name of Organizational Unit or Program

     FTE for that unit or program

Administration

257,361

241,903

290,691

      FTE

0.28000

0.36250

0.41300

Code Enforcement

6,974

9,394

10,139

     FTE

0.04000

0.05000

0.05000

Community Development

123,427

80,088

61,216

     FTE

0.06000

0.08000

0.08000

Library

372,897

70,093

90,592

     FTE

0.92000

0.58750

0.81300

Municipal Court

14,040

16,893

12,748

     FTE

0.07000

0.10000

0.10000

Parks & Recreation

188,121

206,513

240,537

     FTE

1.28000

0.73750

0.46500

Police

33,663

36,231

10,426

     FTE

0.00000

0.00000

0.00000

Tourism

1,223

10,586

35,578

     FTE

0.00000

0.00000

0.00000

Blackberry Jam Festival

26,996

18,123

13,770

     FTE

0.00000

0.00000

0.00000

Building Inspections

153,392

153,088

57,522

     FTE

0.08000

0.12000

0.12000

Sewer

832,283

915,903

920,455

     FTE

1.61000

2.04375

2.31000

Water

1,022,990

1,424,986

2,258,358

     FTE

1.61000

2.04375

2.31000

Streets & Stormwater

378,122

636,801

400,128

     FTE

0.43000

0.25000

0.33000

Not Allocated to Organizational Unit or Program

599,820

572,924

254,492

     FTE

0.00000

0.00000

0.00000

     Total Requirements

4,011,309

4,393,526

4,656,652

           Total FTE

6.38000

6.37500

6.99100

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITIES and SOURCES OF FINANCING

Changes in activities and sources of financing compared to the adopted 2023-2024 budget include: (1) STAFFING AND PERSONNEL. Adding a new full-time employee in the Public Works Department with a starting salary of $34,445. Funding 3.5% pay raises for city employees. (2) WATER TREATMENT GRANT. Planning for grants up to $1 million to pay for water treatment retrofit. If funded, the water treatment plant retrofit will make it easier to process high turbidity in Dexter Reservoir during the Lookout Point dam drawdowns. (3) WATER AND SEWER RATES. Water rates remain at current levels. Sewer rates increase from $68.51 per month per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) to $72.00 per month per EDU. (4) REDUCTION IN POLICING CONTRACT. As a cost savings measure, the current law enforcement services contract with the City of Oakridge is reduced. The current contract provides 40 hours of random patrol per month at an estimated cost of $36,356. The Budget Committee approved budget funds $10,000 for police services to be provided on an as-needed basis only. (5) SALES OF SURPLUS REAL ESTATE. This budget projects net sales revenues of $302,459 for the sale of surplus city real estate. That real estate comprises the old City Hall property, as well as a portion of Rolling Rock Park, as contemplated in the 2019 "Downtown Master Plan." INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? See the Budget Committee adopted budget, available at City Hall and online via the following link: https://www.ci.lowell.or.us/bc-budget/page/budget-committee-3. (Select the May 22, 2024 Budget Committee approved budget, as well as the meeting packet for the May 22, 2024 Budget Committee meeting.)

PROPERTY TAX LEVIES

Actual Amount

Adopted Budget

Approved Budget

2022-2023

This Year 2023-2024

Next Year 2024-2025

 Permanent Rate Levy      (rate limit  $2.1613 per $1,000)

$2.1613

$2.1613

$2.1613

 Local Option Levy

$0

$0

$0

 Levy For General Obligation Bonds

$0

$0

$0

STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS

LONG TERM DEBT

Estimated Debt Outstanding

Estimated Debt Authorized, But

on July 1.

 Not Incurred on July 1

General Obligation Bonds

$0

$0

Other Bonds

$1,066,306

$0

Other Borrowings

$1,070,001

$0

     Total

$2,136,307

$0