Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

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Budget Process The Clay County Assessor is responsible for determining the valuation of property located within the city. Valuations used for the Fiscal Year 2019 budget were established as of January 1, 2017. The county sends out new valuation notices to affected property owners for the budget that will go into effect July 1 st the year following the assessment year (I.e. January 1 2017 assessments will be used to determine taxes for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2018). Residents have the ability protest their valuation statement to the Clay County Local Board of Review by filing a petition for review prior to April 30. The City’s budget process begins in late summer for the following year. The five-year Capital Improvement Plan is prepared by departments and brought to the Council in early November. This document is approved by the Council in conjunction with the budget in March. Preparation of the operating budget begins in December when the Department Directors are given their budget request worksheets to complete. The Finance Department completes the salary and benefit projections for all departments as well as general revenues. At this time, the city also updates the five- year financial model for the sewer, solid waste and landfill operations. These forecasts models assist in preparing the budget and in determining the any rate increases needed to fund operations. Management and City Council review the proposed budget and tax levy beginning in January. Each department is assigned to a specific Council Committee for the budget review process. The assignments are as follows: Council Committee Departments Responsible For: Public Safety Police, Communication Center, Fire, Building Inspections Public Works Streets, Solid Waste, Airport, Sanitary Sewer, Landfill Progress & Development Library, Parks, Campground, Aquatic Center, Cemetery, Economic Development programs Finance & Personnel Administration, Debt Service, Employee Benefits, misc. programs Upon completion of the Council review, the Finance Department finalizes the budget and tax levy for presentation to the full City Council to set a public hearing. Notice of the hearing is published not less than 10 days and no more than 20 days before the public hearing in the local newspaper. After the public hearing the Council will adopt the proposed budget, which must be certified to the Clay County Auditor no later than March 15 th . Budgets are legally adopted at the program or function level for all departments. The city has the ability to shift budget amounts within the programs/functions with governing body approval. The current year budget must be amended if the budgeted expenditures will likely exceed the total for the entire program. This is done through a public hearing process similar to the adoption for the original budget. All appropriations lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which they were budgeted.