City of DeKalb Tax Revenues and Budget Estimates

Each of the images below represents the first portion of a three-part spreadsheet devoted to tax revenues and budget estimates for each of four tax revenue sources. The city’s new central purchasing director says this is the data she used to determine sales tax revenue projections for the draft FY2012 budget.

Hotel/Motel Revenues & the Economic Development Fund

[table id=16 /] Hotel/motel tax revenues used to go into the General Fund, but as of FY2009 were earmarked for an Economic Development Fund (Fund 46). According to the FY2012 budget, [t]he Economic Development Fund accounts for our agreements with outside agencies that help provide various economic development functions on behalf of the City. These…

Legal Services Outsourcing Question Revisited

The May 23 Committee of the Whole meeting contains this discussion item: 1) CONSIDERATION OF A DISCUSSION REGARDING LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF DEKALB. The City Manager has received a request from a minimum of three aldermen to place on this agenda an item to discuss further the matter of outsourcing of our legal…

Sales Tax Losses in Central Area TIF

Figures are pulled from annual fiscal year TIF reporting of “revenue deposited in fund during the reporting year.” [table id=14 /] See p. 117 of the FY2012 proposed budget for the FY2012 sales tax projections for the Central Area TIF. The sales tax portions of TIF revenue will be discontinued in 2013.

The Egyptian, TIF, & the Survival Budget

The Daily Chronicle published my comments on this lovely Friday the 13th. In Thursday’s editorial, “Egyptian worth the investment,” the Daily Chronicle’s editorial board asserted that an improved Egyptian Theatre would be a plus for downtown. I agree. However, something’s been missed in the analysis: a peek into our collective wallet.

City of DeKalb’s EAV Plunge, Part 1

The City of DeKalb FY2012 budget draft proposal (p. 23) says: FY2012 Revenue Highlights: Property Tax Revenues are expected increase approximately 4.35 percent due to a tax increase from 60 cents to 65 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. It should be noted that revenues received from the property tax only go toward the…

City of DeKalb’s EAV Plunge, Part 2

Click on the image for a larger version, and once more for the largest. Each “Decline” was calculated by subtracting Tax Year 2010 from the peak year shown. Usually the peak came in 2008, but not in all cases. Should we really be budgeting new TIF projects for FY2012?

City & School District TIF Surplus Budget Estimates

[table id=13 /] The school district is allocating its share for debt service, while the City of DeKalb’s will be dropped into the General Fund. One might ask why the city has projected $670,000 for FY2012 since the October estimates came in $528,200 under its preliminary estimates. At least two factors must be at play:…