South Bend Mayor Proposes Lower 2012 Budget | Daily Rosetta ...

With flat revenue projections for 2012, the administration of Mayor Stephen J. Luecke is proposing a balanced General Fund spending budget of $64.4 million for the coming year, a 1-percent decrease from the current fiscal year.

The South Bend Common Council is beginning a series of hearings today on the proposed 2012 budget. the General Fund, which pays for general government and public-safety functions, represents the largest of six segregated sections of budget accounts requiring Council approval. the overall City budget ? which includes pensions, road projects, capital investments and user-funded accounts like utilities ? is proposed to be $263.4 million, down 2 percent from 2011.

On the expenditure side, the budget retains public-safety forces at full strength, including the addition of five new firefighters in 2012. Efforts to reduce abandoned housing through demolition of substandard structures again will receive $500,000 in funding in 2012, while staff in the South Bend Parks and Recreation Department will continue to operate a full complement of programs.

?We?re presenting a balanced budget and trying to offer some flexibility so that the new mayor can consider launching some new initiatives fairly quickly,? said Luecke, whose term expires Jan. 1, 2012, after nearly 15 years as South Bend?s longest-serving mayor. ?Despite a loss of $21.3 million in property tax revenues for 2012 as a result of the state?s tax caps, the City of South Bend is in strong financial position through reduced spending, conservative fiscal policy, local option income tax increases and fiscally responsible behavior.?

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The City?s property tax revenues for 2012 are projected to be the same as 2011 ? $49.6 million. the total, however, only remains level because it includes new sources of tax revenues from the termination of the Tax Increment Financing district serving Erskine Commons and a one-year release of revenue from another southside TIF district serving Erskine Village. City officials are projecting assessed values of property within the city to remain flat after declines of 10 percent, 9 percent and 5 percent for the past three years.

Local income-based tax revenues ? including the County Option Income Tax, the Economic Development Income Tax and the Public Safety Local Option Income Tax ? are also expected to remain flat. the revenues received in 2012 would have been collected as the nation passed the low point of the economic recession.

Within the City?s annual operating budget, proposed public safety expenditures of $53.2 million represent nearly 83 percent of the General Fund budget, up from 80 percent in 2011. Staffing funded by the 2012 budget is projected to have a net increase of seven full-time personnel citywide, reaching a total of 1,185 full-time employees.

Within the total City budget, sewer revenue is projected to increase 12 percent as a result of a rate increase to fund the federally mandated combined sewer overflow long-term control plan. the water utility also is projecting a 3 percent revenue increase. Bond issues in 2012 will fund capital projects to continue to improve sewer and water infrastructure.

Last month, both Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor?s rating agencies gave stable rating outlooks to bonds held by the City of South Bend: Fitch at AA+ and Standard & Poor?s at AA. ?The city?s strong finances, evidenced by extremely healthy reserve levels, have helped the city weather the economic recession and state-enacted changes to the property tax system,? Fitch reported. ?In anticipation of the negative impact of state property tax reform, and through proactive and conservative fiscal practices, city management made strategic expenditure cuts and increased local income taxes to replace a portion of lost property tax revenue, which has diversified revenues and put the city?s finances on firmer ground.?

?The stable outlook reflects the city?s very strong level of reserves and currently balanced financial operations and, as such, we do not expect the rating to change in the two-year horizon of the outlook,? according to Standard & Poor?s.

Following Monday?s opening session, additional budget presentations to the South Bend Common Council are scheduled at 5 p.m. on the following dates:

Wednesday, Aug. 31 ? Building Department, Morris Performing Arts Center/Palais Royale, Department of Community and Economic Development (along with parking garage budget)

Thursday, Sept. 1 ? Department of Code Enforcement, Parks and Recreation Department

Tuesday, Sept. 6 ? Department of Public Works

Wednesday, Sept. 7 ? Administration & Finance Department along with COIT, EDIT and other funds; Information Technology, Safety & Risk, Human Rights Commission, Mayor?s Office, Legal Department, Century Center, College Football Hall of Fame (debt service/capital), Clerk?s Office, Common Council

Thursday, Sept. 8 ? Police and fire departments

Source: City of South Bend

Source: http://www.dailyrosetta.com/south-bend-mayor-proposes-lower-2012-budget/33453.html

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