The city of Sedona’s budget for the next fiscal year is now official.
City Council members opted to set the 2011-2012 fiscal year’s budget at $34,335,463 during a special budget hearing Tuesday, June 28, at Sedona City Hall. The meeting was held prior to council’s regular meeting.
Council members voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 2011-13, which formalized the city’s budget cap. The amount includes all city funds, including the city’s general fund. That portion of the city budget, in particular, totals approximately $12 million.
Council members approved a tentative budget of $34.9 million May 24, which included approximately $1 million in surplus funds from the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Prior to the May 24 meeting, council members participated in a number of budget workshops.
The final budget amount differed slightly from the tentative budget amount, said Sedona City Manager Tim Ernster.
“There have been a couple of minor adjustments,” Ernster said.
Peter Fagan, chairman for the city’s Budget Oversight Commission, acknowledged the work of the commission during the June 28 budget hearing.
“We, in the commission, believe this was the smoothest budget process that this city has ever seen and we hope that you do also,” Fagan said to council members.
A portion of the city’s $1 million surplus revenue is slated for one-time projects. Those projects include increased marketing for tourism in the Sedona area and support for local events, according to Assistant Sedona City Manager Alison Zelms. According to a recent “Things to Know” informational report from the city of Sedona, early cost reduction efforts and a commitment to financial sustainability helped create the revenue surplus.
Besides other projects, the revenue surplus will provide city employees with a one-time salary bonus. That one-time payment will be $150 per each quarter that employee has worked for the city since 2008, when pay freezes were enacted. Approximately $100,000 was earmarked for the Sedona Chamber of Commerce’s marketing efforts. Roughly $125,000 was set aside for arts organizations and grant funding.
