The month of June is city budget month for Fort Thomas, which passed the city’s Fiscal Year 2023-’24 budget. The road to passage went smoothly with few questions or concerns about the budget plan.
Public comment centered on three issues: communication, transparency and recreation projects.
Budget reflects modest increase
Overall, the city has completed or is nearing completion of several capital projects including the city building remodel, the softball field and streetscapes in the Central Business District. The federal American Rescue Plan Act Funds are earmarked for some large projects this year, but adjusted for those, the budget reflects a modest increase mostly due to payroll, health care and the typical increases in utilities and basic materials, according to Assistant City Administrator/Director of Finance Joe Ewald.
The General Fund Operating Revenue is anticipated to be just over $15 million, an increase by about 5.2% over last year, he said.
The budget line indicating “revenue transfers” does show a 25% increase, about $3.17 million, but Ewald explained that is primarily the federal ARPA funds earmarked to finance city projects including the Tower Park playground, Rossford bridge and Kyles Lane projects.
He noted new budgeting software is coming on board that will streamline the overall budgeting process, making it easier for department heads to see how much they have in their budget at all times. The new software also has capability to add online payments and other features not currently available on the city’s website. The software is set to roll out in July.
Reorganization in the budget
Operating expenditures, on the other hand, show a 28% increase. Ewald said this mostly reflects a change in where projects appear within the budget.
“This is primarily due to how we are budgeting and how we are expensing these,” Ewald said. “In the past we used what was the Central Business District Fund as a project fund to cost center the city building, the softball field and expenditures with the streetscape in the center of town. To be honest, it was really a bit cumbersome, so we are changed to expense those to the general fund department that they come from.”
Park-related projects have been moved from the Central Business District Fund to the Parks Department, where the expenses can be more closely tracked, said Mayor Eric Haas.
“If you remove those expenditures, the average increase is roughly 3% across all general fund departments,” Haas said. “That increase is due primarily to wage increases and additional health insurance costs. There is very little discretionary spending as in years past.”
The original intent of the or Central Business District Fund was to cover expenses for citywide events and activities such as the Farmer’s Market. The plan is to return the that fund to that function and to put projects under the budgets for departments associated with those projects.
Calls for improved communication
At the budget hearing on June 5 before the first of two council meetings, residents spoke about what they wanted to see in the budget.
Resident Tiffany Huber addressed council at the hearing and said she did her own survey of residents over the weekend, asking what they would like to see budgeted for in the city.
“I see some things missing in the budget based on the input that’s been provided by residents,” Huber said. “As I looked at the survey, it validated what we’ve been asking for over the last five years. One is the transparency in communication and the website. You have made incremental changes to the website but compared to other cities we are not near as far along as we need to be.”
Because of these concerns, she said she would like to see a position for a full-time communications media director in the budget. Having a dedicated position for a communications director, she said, would allow for better communication with residents and businesses and would allow for different modes of communication between the city and residents.
“This is a critical need,” she said.
She also asked for the formation of a residents board to further facilitate communication and resident input.
Another resident, Sharon McKnight, said she had wished there were more town halls or meetings to explain the budget before the hearing, and that having a communication director could help facilitate additional communications on the budget and other issues.
Recreation projects
Residents had questions about projects in the Recreation Department budget. The largest item, a replacement and upgrade of equipment in the city’s main playground in Tower Park, is estimated to cost $2.5 million. ARPA funds in that amount have been earmarked within that department’s budget.
City Administrator Matt Kremer said costs for new and safe ADA compliant equipment for the main city playground at Tower Park run high.
“It’s the accessibility,” Kremer said. “It’s a very inclusive playground for multiple children’s needs. It’s the main playground in Fort Thomas. It’s one that’s used 12 months out of the year. It’s absolutely the biggest playground and the most used.”
Jeff Bezold, chair of the city’s Recreation Committee, said the cost had always been high but there was a significant increase after COVID. Still, he said, the city needed to work with an approved vendor and find the best and safest equipment.
“It’s lifespan is past due,” Bezold said. “We went through many different options but it was all the about the same.”
The playground project is expected to begin this fall.
Dennis Pompilio, a resident of Kathy Lane, asked about another of the Recreation Department’s budgeted items: $520,000 for the city’s share of a project led by the Fort Thomas Independent School District that would create a Tower Park Athletics Complex. The complex would include a new multi-purpose fieldhouse, upgrades for ADA accessibility, soccer field turf replacement and addition parking and lighting.
Kremer said he could not comment on the specifics of that project as it is under the jurisdiction of the school district.
Another item in the recreation budget is $125,000 to bronze and complete installation of the General Thomas statue in Tower Park. Funds to create the statue came from Fort Thomas residents, and the city agreed to provide funding as well to create a space for the statue in the park. The project was put on hold for a time, but now the city would like to complete the project this year.
The budget passes
Ewald said the budget assumes the city will take the compensating rate plus the 4% allowed by the state. The sum generated would be enough to cover pensions, health insurance and the typical budgeted operating increases, he said.
After the June 5 hearing, council met and presented the first reading of the budget. On June 19, council met again and passed the budget.