Kim Ecklund
The Jamestown City Council Finance Committee Chair and Republican candidate for Mayor is expressing little surprise over the proposed 2024 city budget.
Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist presented a $40.15 million spending plan that includes no tax increase and a 1.29% increase in the tax levy.
Council member at large Kim Ecklund said while she was glad to see things like the purchase of four new police vehicles in the budget, she has requested a line-item budget, which has been historically provided to council members; to further understand what has been proposed financially, “And I was advised on Friday it would not be today (Monday). I don’t know when I’ll receive them but I’d like to have them before Monday as the Finance Chair before we start these meetings with departments so I can actually look at it because, as you know, this book is really just a summary. The devil is in the details is a term I use all the time but that’s really truly where it all is.”
Ecklund said an example of why that information is needed is that year-to-date expenditures are missing from the budget book provided to Council members and the public.
She said some items of concern in the budget include salary increases for the City Clerk/Treasurer, Assessor, Corporation Counsel, and Comptroller positions, “There is some movement of some things I am questioning and I don’t want to speak wrong or incorrect until I actually see those numbers. But, when you have positions retiring and then you just put in the adopted budget and the new budget and you see big differentials, there’s no explanation to the general public who looks at this to know that’s their buy out. You know, so things like that that I think we need to dig into a little bit deeper.”
The example of a retirement buy-out Ecklund alludes to is of current Assessor Lisa Volpe being anticipated to retire at the beginning of 2024. The proposed budget shows a increase in salary from $73,814 in 2023 to $128,125 in 2024.
The Comptroller’s position shows a $13,000 pay increase, the City Clerk/Treasurer’s position a $18,000 increase, and the Corporation Counsel’s position a $19,676 increase.
Ecklund also expressed concern over the projected 22.1% increase in property tax valuations, saying without further details she’s not sure that’s realistic given that the city is also working to demolish condemned houses as well, resulting in a loss of that tax revenue.
Ecklund added she’d be open to looking at a tax decrease, “If we remove some of these items that are in here and have the hard discussion, I think we as a council can come forward with at least having the discussion of a tax decrease. I think it’s imperative to take care of our residents as best we can. Just to remain at a no tax increase shouldn’t be our goal. We should be looking at everything to try to get below that no tax increase.”
City Council will hear budget presentations from the City Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, Comptroller, Information Services, and Corporation Counsel’s offices at a budget hearing at 6:30 p.m., Monday, October 16. Other departments are expected to present in the weeks to follow.
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