At its meeting Thursday night, the Brighton City Council formally adopted the city budget for the 19-20 fiscal year – a budget year that will see cuts in the Police Dept. and DPW budgets.

While the total budget – that shows expenditures in all departments and from all sources – at over $22 million, the general fund budget will be less than half that - or just over $10 million. The new fiscal year starts on July 1st.

Council has established a goal of setting aside the first one mill of property tax revenues for capital improvements. According to City Manager Nate Geinzer, with the dedicated mill, the city will eventually have enough funds accumulated to realize improvements in its infrastructure. With passage of the 19-20 budget, the city will establish a new capital reserve fund which sets aside 10% of annual depreciation for future capital needs.

Geinzer explains for WHMI that this budget differs from city budgets in past years because it contains provision for council to set aside the first one mill of property tax revenues for capital improvements. With the dedicated one mill, Geinzer says, the city will realize some genuine improvements in its infrastructure. The city has also established a new capital reserve fund which sets aside 10% of annual depreciation for future capital needs.

The reduction in the police force by one officer will be a result of attrition, or retirement, and not a staffing cut. The budget was prepared without the estimated revenue that passage of a street millage request on the ballot for next Tuesday would provide since city officials say that’s up in the air at this point.

Likewise, Geinzer says, a few developments are on the drawing board, including townhouses on Second St. and Flint Road. But he says you can’t rely on the extra tax revenue they would bring to the city until the developments get final approval and are constructed. (TT)