Dunwoody city officials propose to spend about $24.74 million on city operations in 2014, up less than a percentage point from the amount budgeted for this year.
The proposed budget Mayor Mike Davis and City Manager Mike Davis presented to Dunwoody City Council calls for a 0.42 percent increase in general fund expenditures over the $23.9 in the city’s 2013 amended budget.
The 2014 budget plan predicts the city will collect $24.89 million in general fund revenue, up from $23.86 million in 2013. That includes an increase in property taxes collected to about $20 million, up from $18.4 million in 2013. The difference represents an increase in the value of taxable property in Dunwoody. City Council recently voted to keep the city’s tax millage at 2.74 mills.
“The city has experienced modest but steady expansion and economic development in 2013,” the budget message says. “The same diversity in our revenue streams that made the city more resilient during the economic recession has been beneficial during the slow recovery period. The city is on track to exceed the $23 million in revenues appropriated in the [fiscal year] 2013 budget primarily due to healthy franchise fees and permitting fees.”
The budget says the total of city expenditures from all funds, including special-use funds such as the hotel-motel tax, will reach about $30 million.
The mayor and city manager’s budget message says the city plans to spend $5.9 million from the general fund budget on projects such as street resurfacing, sidewalks, intersections, parks and public safety equipment.
Some highlights of the proposed 2014 budget, according to the budget message and a memo presented at a recent council budget committee meeting:
–City Clerk’s budget drops by 36 percent next year because of the cost of running city elections this year;
–City officials plan to spend $1.8 million for street resurfacing and paving; about $1.75 million for construction and intersection improvement projects; and $230,000 on sidewalks;
–City officials plan to spend about $1 million to develop a 5-acre park on the 19-acre parcel the city is buying for the Renaissance redevelopment project; $65,000 for an emergency notification system at Brook Run Park; and $100,000 to replace the roof at the North DeKalb Cultural Center;
–City officials plan to spend $40,000 for a redesign of the city logo and brand;
The city has scheduled a public hearing and council discussion of the budget for Oct. 14. The council is to vote Oct. 28 on whether to adopt the budget.