City of El Paso budget hearings to start Monday; view schedule, proposed budget, fact sheet
The City of El Paso will hold budget hearings for the Fiscal Year 2015 budget starting Monday, July 21 in the Main Conference Room (2nd floor) of City Hall, 300 N. Campbell.
View the FY 2015 proposed budget at http://bit.ly/TYpCy2
The dates and times are as follows:
DATES TIMES
MONDAY, JULY 21, 2014 8:00 A.M.
TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2014 11:00 A.M.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2014 8:00 A.M.
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014 8:00 A.M.
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 8:00 A.M.
DEPARTMENTS
• City Manager’s Proposed Budget Overview
• Aviation
• City Development/Economic Development
• Community Development
• Destination El Paso
• Library
• Museums & Cultural Affairs
• Mayor & Council
• Information Technology Services
• Office of the Comptroller
• Purchasing & Strategic Sourcing
• Tax
• Human Resources/Insurance & Benefits
• City Manager
• City Attorney
• Non-Departmental
• Municipal Clerk
• Fire
• Zoo
• Department of Public Health
• Parks & Recreation
• Mass Transit – Sun Metro
• General Services
• International Bridges
• Department of Transportation
• Engineering and Construction Management
• Police
• Environmental Services
FY 2015 Budget Fact Sheet
Realistic Budget – City Manager & Executive Leadership team worked with
departments to create a realistic budget. This budget takes into account revenue
shortfalls and debt service commitments.
Alignment – efforts were made to align the budget with the Strategic Plan and Council
Focus Areas. Priorities include academies for both Police and Fire, fully staffed
permitting office, reducing vacant positions and ensuring the commitments to the
Quality of Life and street improvements bond programs
are met.
Budget Posting – although this budget is being posted on June 30, 2014, we feel it is a work in progress and welcome input from the Council.
What is the potential tax increase?
Potential tax increase of 2.3 cents attributable to the following:
? 1.2 cents for economic incentives to eradicate blight and improve property values.
Total economic incentives from all sources are estimated at $9.8 million
? 1.1 cents for the Quality of Life bond program passed by the voters in 2012
How did we get there?
Proposed tax increase would be 2.1 cents and the budget includes the following:
? 0.2 cents being absorbed through cost saving measures
? 5% cut within every department budget (currently funding high priority items)
? Texas Gas franchise fee adjusted earlier in the year to 4.5% or a $2.1M new
revenue
? Sale of bonds will be pushed back from October 2014 to February/March 2015
? Increase of Parks & Recreation fees but no increases for seniors
? Increase of El Paso Zoo entry fee
? Projected additional expenses/savings from collective bargaining with Police and
Firefighter’s Associations
Staff continues to review the following:
? Vacant positions that can be deleted from the system to capture funds
? Departments’ travel budgets to only utilize travel that is necessary for operations
El Paso Electric 1% increase to franchise fee=$4.8M new revenue
? $8.56 average increase to annual residential bill
? $19.08 additional annual increase to property taxpayer without franchise fee
increase
What does this mean to the average homeowner?
Based on Preliminary Certified Values, the net taxable home value in FY 2015 is
$125,105, an increase of $914 from $124,191. At the proposed tax rate, the average
homeowner would pay $32.71 more per year in property taxes to the City.
Source: City of El Paso
