The Edgerton City Council is set to vote on the 2021 budget this month.
Council members have been working hard with staff to make fiscally responsible decisions for the coming year. “The City of Edgerton will continue to deliver high quality services to our taxpayers under this proposed budget,” says Mayor Donald Roberts. “COVID-19 has not derailed the City’s finances, so residents can continue to expect to see more progress over the next year.”
On July 9, 2020, staff presented the 2021 Recommended General Fund Budget. At that work session, the Council asked staff to bring back two additional scenarios: (1) to lower the revenue equal to the 2019 mill rate (29.919); and (2) to lower the revenue equal to a decrease of one-half of a mill (30.381). Council members did not reach a consensus and plan to discuss the mill rate again before taking a final vote. Since 2009, the City of Edgerton has lowered the mill levy rate over 12 mills, in large part due to the exponential growth of Logistics Park Kansas City.
“Thanks to the tremendous financial impact of Logistics Park Kansas City, we have been able to do major projects that would not otherwise have been possible, like the Big Bull Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility in 2013, the Residential Street Reconstruction Project in 2019, and the upcoming 207th Street Grade Separation Project,” says City Administrator Beth Linn. “All of those large capital improvement projects were funded entirely by revenue generated by LPKC.”
City staff has also worked to refine the budget process over the last several years to include contingencies for increases in operational costs outside of the City’s control, like utility costs, property insurance, and legal fees.
The Edgerton City Council uses the biennial citizen survey to prioritize projects to meet the needs and desires of residents. The proposed 2021 budget reflects the most recent information from the survey, with a focus on maintenance of City streets and buildings, more enforcement on the cleanup of litter and debris and other code violations, and continued support for our community policing officer.
Residents are invited to review the budget here.
A public hearing will be held on the proposed budget before a final vote is taken during the August 13th meeting at City Hall. Residents are welcome to submit testimony on the budget during the hearing or by emailing kbanks@edgertonks.org in advance.
