Fort Dodge faces $500K budget gap
Officials wrestling with general fund deficit
-Messenger file photo <br> With the help of Fort Dodge Fire Department firefighter and paramedic Devon Schuster, 5-year-old Wyatt Rentz, of Fort Dodge, knocks down some traffic cones with a fire hose at National Night Out on Aug. 2, 2022. The Fire Department's budget for the next fiscal year is among those that could be impacted by a $500,000 deficit.
-Messenger file photo <br> Several kids play in a water sprinkler coming from a Fort Dodge Fire Department ladder truck at National Night Out on Aug. 2, 2022. The fire department participates in events such as National Night Out to connect with the community.
-Messenger file photo <br> With the help of Fort Dodge Fire Department firefighter and paramedic Devon Schuster, 5-year-old Wyatt Rentz, of Fort Dodge, knocks down some traffic cones with a fire hose at National Night Out on Aug. 2, 2022. The Fire Department's budget for the next fiscal year is among those that could be impacted by a $500,000 deficit.
-Messenger file photo <br> Several kids play in a water sprinkler coming from a Fort Dodge Fire Department ladder truck at National Night Out on Aug. 2, 2022. The fire department participates in events such as National Night Out to connect with the community.
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Fort Dodge officials working on the proposed budget for 2023-2024 are dealing with a mind boggling array of numbers, but one figure is increasingly important: $500,000.
That is the difference between the projected spending and the projected revenue in the general fund, which pays for public safety and numerous other government functions.
"Right now, we're just trying to figure out how to make this balance," City Manager David Fierke told the City Council Monday evening.
The $500,000 deficit in the general fund is the result of lower overall taxable property valuation, according to Jeff Nemmers, the city clerk and finance director.
He said changes in state law have reduced the taxable value, especially of commercial property.
The city must have its budget for the next fiscal year finished by mid-March, so the city staff and City Council will be making some likely difficult decisions on the general fund budget within the next month.
On Monday, the council continued reviewing budget proposals and did not make any decisions on spending.
Fire Department
The proposed Fire Department budget is $3,316,756.
That's up from the current $3,165,800.
The budget includes $52,700 to add one additional firefighter. Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter said the new firefighter would be moved to different shifts as needed to fill in when other firefighters are on vacation or out sick. Doing that would reduce overtime expenses, he said.
The proposed budget for the ambulance service provided by the Fire Department is $1,276,812.
That is down from the current $1,572,550.
The proposal calls for eliminating two vacant paramedic positions and two vacant emergency medical technician positions. Those were new positions in the current budget that were intended to create additional emergency medical response capability during the overnight hours. However, the city was never able to recruit anyone to fill those posts.
Library
The proposed budget for the Fort Dodge Public Library is $886,697.
That is down slightly from the current budget of $886,901.
The city government pays for personnel, utilities and other expenses of running the library. Books, other materials and programs are paid for by groups such as Friends of the Fort Dodge Public Library.
Visit Fort Dodge
In October, the organization known for years as the Fort Dodge Convention and Visitors Bureau rebranded itself as Visit Fort Dodge.
The organization is funded by the city's hotel/motel tax, which is a 7 percent levy added to lodging bills in the city. Revenue from that tax is used divided up as follows:
39 percent to Visit Fort Dodge
28.5 percent to pay off bond debt related to Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex
14 percent for park improvements
7 percent to the Police Department for equipment
7 percent to the Fire Department for equipment
3.5 percent to support special events in the city
The proposed budget for Visit Fort Dodge is $324,500.
That's up from the current budget of $309,762.
Blanden Memorial Art Museum
The museum budget won't be much different under the proposal introduced Monday.
The proposed budget is $269,300.
That's up slightly from the current $267,650.
Museum Director Eric Anderson told the council that he hopes to open the new art education facility at 222-224 S. Eighth St. in the fall.
The city bought those buildings in September with the goal of getting the art education programs out of the museum's basement.
Karl L. King Municipal Band
The city levies a property tax of 5 cents per $1,000 of taxable value to support the band.
The band's proposed budget is $40,000.
That's up from the current $38,000.
The band will begin its 2023 concert season on Feb. 19.