City Council Committee Agendas

Mount Vernon Finance Committee November 4, 2015 Present: Mayor Boudreau, Councilmembers Ragan, Urban, Lindquist, Fiedler, Quam, Hulst, Molenaar Staff Present: Finance Department Director Huschka, City Attorney Kevin Rogerson, Rebecca Lowell A. 2016 Preliminary Budget Review Alicia continued the review of the 2016 Preliminary Budget with Council. Specific areas reviewed: a. Discussed Council meeting date due to Veterans Day holiday falling on a Wednesday. b. Overview of Budget Summary- Goals adopted by Council. c. New pages added to the Council’s budget book: The summary budget document was reviewed; increases to salary and benefits of $427,000 were analyzed; the public defense budget was discussed; and the equipment rental fund rates which are up $144,000 compared to 2015 were reviewed. d. Sales tax revenues, both 2015 and projections for 2016 were reviewed. e. Property tax revenue scenarios and the impacts to property owners were presented and discussed. f. Utility tax on PUD water was proposed at 7%. The committee discussed the reasons for this proposed increase to this utility tax which was the result of the exemption of 21% of PUD revenues that were not subject to the 6% utility tax rate that was put into place in January 2015. g. Other budget areas were reviewed. h. Discussed budget calendar. B. Goats Issue- Rebecca Lowell a. Rebecca presented information to the committee on the topic of goats, and specifically addressed issues to consider if goats were to be allowed as pets within City Limits: smell, noise, confinement and sanitary conditions, enforcement were issues discussed in detail. Adjourned at 6:58 pm. SUBMITTED BY: ______________________________________________ Morgan Morrison, Recording Secretary