Budget and tax rate public hearings scheduled September 3 and 10.
City Council continued hearing staff presentations of the Fiscal Year 2020 Proposed Budget at a special workshop this afternoon. They also received presentations from community partner organizations that request City funds each year.
Support Services are the core functions necessary to frontline. The $19.5 million to fund these services are embedded in each of the line department budgets to more accurately account for the cost of the services necessary to carry out core missions.
Presentations were given for the City Auditor, City Manager and Building and Custodial Services. Communications presented its department budget and division budgets for Legislative Affairs and Printing Services. The Finance Department began its presentations with its department budget and division budgets for Accounting and Purchasing.
Support Services presentations not completed were the Fleet Services and Utility Collections divisions under Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal and Engineering. A special workshop will be called next week to finish presenting those budgets.
Following the regular City Council meeting at 5 p.m., the body resumed its discussion of the budget in workshop with presentations from community partners. Nearly $3.3 million is designated for community partners. Some allocations are based on formulas while others are based on requests by the organizations.
Bell County Communications Center, which handles dispatch of 9-1-1 calls for emergency service, is set to receive $1,536,376 based on Killeen’s system usage. The Tax Appraisal District of Bell County will receive $505,730, and Bell County Health Department will receive $331,368 both based on formulas.
Killeen Economic Development Corporation and Killeen Chamber are proposed to receive $725,054 split equally between the General Fund and the Water & Sewer Fund in the coming fiscal year. Both allocations are the same as in Fiscal Year 2019.
Hill Country Transit District (The HOP) was budgeted to receive the same level of funding in the coming fiscal year as in the current year at $120,850. In May, HOP representatives made a presentation to City Council requesting $806,618 to restore routes to their 2017 levels and suggesting other route options that could be possible with lesser contributions. They made the same suggestions at tonight’s workshop and added four options based on City staff input, all of which exceeded the proposed allocation. City Council selected the option that would maintain current service at a cost of $222,366 and directed the City Manager to bring back suggestions for finding the additional funding. They further directed him to study public transportation alternatives.
The National Mounted Warfare Museum is proposed to receive $77,000 out of the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund.
As delivered August 6, the $209 million proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Budget and Plan of Municipal Services is balanced with an estimated ending fund balance projected at 21.6 percent. The draft maintains the current tax rate of 74.98 cents and proposes no increases in utility fees.
The public has its opportunity to join the budget discussion at three upcoming public hearings. City Council has set September 3 for two hearings, one on the proposed budget and the other on the proposed tax rate. A second tax rate hearing is scheduled September 10. All will be at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 101 North College Street.
City Council will continue deliberating the proposal through budget adoption scheduled September 17. Fiscal Year 2020 begins October 1, 2019 and ends September 30, 2020.
The entire proposed budget is available at KilleenTexas.gov/Budget along with links to all documents, presentations, notices and videos.