The 2009 Budget and the completion of the Fall Creek Road extension will be major topics of discussion at the Oct. 28 meeting of the Branson Board of Aldermen. Both have been major items of discussion and consideration as the budget process has developed.
A public hearing and the first reading of the ordinance adopting the city’s 2009 budget and appropriating the funding for that budget will be considered. At the board’s Sep. 22 meeting the board postponed the approval of the city’s 2009 budget by passing a resolution permitting the continuation of the necessary and essential expenditures of the budget to operate the city through Nov. 3. The resolution was based on its finding that “good and sufficient reasons exist to allow a continuation because of the City Governments financial status.”
At a Sep. 16 meeting of the board and the city’s Infrastructure and Budget and Finance Committees, Branson City Administrator Dean Kruithof said a system breakdown had occurred. He described the system breakdown as, among other things, a lack of effective contract management, no reconciliation to budget, no project accounting, and that the city has an obsolete financial system. At the Sep. 22 meeting Kruithof explained the continuing resolution was necessary so that the budget process could be completed, that they were in the process of working through the second round of budget discussions with the city’s Directors and were looking very hard at expenditures.
The completed operating budget for the General Fund in 2009 shows total Revenues of $19,377,890, Budgeted Expenditures of $20,117,577 and a projected operating deficit of $739,687. The staff report accompanying the budget indicates that this will be the floor for all future budgets.
On more than one occasion Kruithof has expressed his concern about the recent trend of declining Fund Balances. In general terms the Fund Balance is an indication of reserves. On Oct. 23, during a joint meeting of the board with the city’s Infrastructure and Finance and Budget Committee’s, Finance Director, Lori Helle said the 2009 ending Fund Balance of $6,002,028 “will be the floor for future budgets.”
The public had an opportunity to express their opinion and give input about the 2009 budget in a public hearing on Sep. 22. There will be additional opportunities for such input on Oct. 28 during the public hearing and when the ordinance is proposed for adoption. If the item is removed from the Consent Agenda at the board’s rescheduled first November meeting on Nov. 3, the public will have another opportunity to be heard.
The board will also consider a first reading accepting a bid proposal to complete the final phase of the Fall Creek Road Extension including the realignment and straightening of the segment immediately south of Highway 76/Fall Creek Intersection. Of the three qualified bids that were received on the project city staff recommended the award of the bid to Emery Sapp & Sons d/b/a Kennedy ESS Contractors who submitted the low bid of $4,545,681.
In a memo to City Administrator Dean Kruithof entitled “Fall Creek Facts,” City Engineer David Miller points out that the Fall Creek Project has been included in transportation master and comprehensive plans as an integral means of improving traffic circulation on Highway 76. It goes on to point out that the cost benefit ratio for the project was 3.88, or that for every dollar spent on construction Branson would realize $3.88 in benefits. The city already has approximately $3 million dollars invested in the project to this point and has all the land rights etc. needed to permit the building and completion of the project should the bid be awarded.
Furnished Courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
