The accounts that pay for the water system, sanitary sewers and road maintenance are sound, Fort Dodge City Council members learned Monday evening as they began their work on the 2019-2020 budget.

That budget year begins July 1, 2019, but because the city’s budget is due to the state in mid-March, local officials are already working on it.

The proposed sanitary sewer utility fund budget, which is always one of the city’s biggest spending categories, is $11,212,258. That money comes from sanitary sewer bills, not property taxes.

The current sanitary sewer utility fund budget is $10,180,531.

The proposed budget includes a 2 percent increase in the fees paid to U.S. Water Utility Group, the company that manages both the wastewater treatment plant and the John W. Pray Water Facility.

The proposed water utility fund budget is $9,414,263. That money comes from water bills, not property taxes.

The current water utility fund budget is $10,054,794.

Water revenues are up, according to Jeff Nemmers, the city clerk and finance director.

The city will expand the water plant next year to install a reverse osmosis system that will reduce the hardness of the water. That move will not create soft water, but it will reduce the need to use water softeners. The city will borrow money from a state account with low interest rates to pay for that project.

“We’re kind of accumulating money in order to have it available when the debt payments come on,” Nemmers said.

The Road Use Tax Fund is the city’s share of gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees. It pays for road maintenance, street sweeping, snow removal, traffic lights and related items. Nemmers said a lot of Public Works Department employees are paid from the Road use Tax Fund.

The 2019-2020 budget for the Road Use Tax Fund is $3,215,794.

The current budget is $3,032,050.

“Overall, the fund is very healthy,” Nemmers said.

The proposal includes some outlays for equipment. The biggest of those is $340,000 for two dump trucks.

“They are a spendy deal, but definitely something we need,” Public Works Director Brett Daniel said.

City Council members made no changes to any of the proposed budgets Monday.

The council will have another budget workshop next week.