With no city employee raises and no property tax increase, East Ridge’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 reflects a decrease from the 2014 budget.
That decrease is largely the result of moving some funds out of the general fund into more specific funds, and trying to do away with the various departments’ miscellaneous funds to provide better accountability of the city’s finances, said City Treasurer Thad Jablonski.
For example, the sanitation assessment fee, which on average brought the city $1.5 million annually, has been removed as a revenue source from the general fund and included in the solid waste management fund. Similarly, several grants are not included in the general fund but instead are listed in a separate grant fund.
The budget, a proposed $10,883,613, was presented to the City Council at a special meeting Thursday night, and the property tax rate remains at $1.42 per $100 of assessed value.
This means a homeowner in East Ridge with a house valued at $100,000 will pay an annual property tax of $355.57 to the city.