Council 03.26.2007

[Stan Austin]

The Budget--- Really Put To Bed?

The 2007 budget has been put to bed but the budgeting process is just taking a nap.

This year’s budget which was passed in a special meeting of council calls for expenditures in the amount of $38,534,502.

How is that money being spent? Lakewoodites generally see their city government on a daily basis in two broad categories–public safety and public works. And, those two areas represent the largest expenditures of the General Fund. The police and fire departments along with school guards and housing and building inspection will spend over $18 million this year.

The public works department will spend about $10 million this year with the biggest portions going to parks and public property ($1.6 million) and refuse and recycling ($4.7 million).

Human services can have an important impact on lives in Lakewood. Many of that department’s funds are pass–through in nature: funds which are transferred from other levels of government. But the general fund supplies over $1million.

Operating the municipal court, mayor’s office, and council will cost about $2 million.

Overall expenditures for the city are much greater because they are comprised of enterprise funds, capital project funds, debt service funds, and internal service funds. These activities on the part of the city could be accurately viewed as stand alone business enterprises with carefully controlled rules of income and expenditure. Perhaps the most familiar to us is the water and wastewater system. This is largely a self contained operation with income and expenditures remaining within that department. It’s called an enterprise fund because its operation closely resembles a private business.

Where does all that money come from? The impertinent response would be “from your pocket, of course!â€Â

[Kevin Butler]

Good summary, Stan. Much work ahead of us this year.

Kevin

Kevin Butler
City Council, Ward 1