What makes a city “tick?” How do things work?
When I first decided to become more involved in the city, I discovered there was much I didn’t know. There were a lot of pieces of the puzzle, and I worked hard to learn…and I am still learning. Two of my goals as a council member are communication and connection. This is the first of a series I hope to provide, with the goal of sharing information you may or may not be aware of about Ivins City.
As there was a discussion last week about property taxes and we are in the middle of budget season, I decided to start here.
Please Note! This is not intended to be pro or con on property tax increases. It is only for informational purposes. Also, not meaning to speak condescendingly to people who may be more knowledgeable than I am, I try to keep life and information as simple as possible.
Where to begin? Well, as the song from Sound Of Music states…”Let’s Start at the Very Beginning…” Or rather the ABCs of the Budget of Ivins City.
Do you know what the annual budget for Ivins City is?
Spoiler alert…it is $11,653,275 (Projected for FY25)
Are you aware of the revenue that determines that budget?
Again, spoiler alert…chart below breaks it down.
The chart below shows where the revenue comes from to determine the budget that runs Ivins.
Sales and Use Taxes are 6.5%. We realize 1%.
Comprised of 1% City Tax, .6% County Tax, 4.8499 State Tax and .3% Special Tax.
Resort Community Tax can be added up to 1.6% when room capacity is greater than 66% of our permanent census population. This applies to all residents as well and is determined by ballot.
The chart below, expenses by department, shows that Public Safety and Streets are the greatest expenses.
Ivins is required to provide a balanced budget each year- we cannot spend more than we have.
Law Enforcement is the net cost we pay – our gross less the reimbursement from Santa Clara.
Fire/EMS is the net cost we pay to Santa Clara, plus our last loan payment on a fire truck and a small amount as a buffer.
There are four “funds” that comprise the budget.
General Fund: Primarily comprised of Property Taxes, Sales & Use Taxes, and Transient Room Taxes. There is a “rainy day” fund attached to it, which has a maximum it can hold to protect from over-taxation.
Capital Project Fund: to fund capital projects like Highway 91, park and trail improvements, and cemetery expansion, to name a few. These funds come from the General Fund, Impact Fee Funds and Grants.
Impact Fee Funds: There are three- Streets, Public Safety and Parks. These fees are paid by developers and have to be expended within six years. Each of these does have a small “rainy day” fund attached.
Enterprise Funds: There are two—water and wastewater. Wastewater includes sewer and storm drains. These have impact fees attached to them. There is no cap on the savings that can be accrued to prepare the city for future operating, maintenance, repair, and replacement costs.
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