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CITY OF GRETNA

PROPOSED OPERATING AND CAPITAL FY 2021-2022

September 1, 2021
Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners:
As required by Section 6.06 of the City Charter, it is my duty to submit to you the City Gretna’s operating
and capital budgets for Fiscal Year 2021/2022. I present to you a proposed balanced budget that takes
into consideration priorities you set at this year’s budget priority workshop.

Each year we begin the budget development process with a commitment to continue our trend of
maintaining taxes and user fees at the lowest rate possible while still maintaining acceptable service levels.
Due to an infusion of billions of dollars by the federal government to improve the nation’s economy in this
COVID-19 environment, and an expected recovery of the Florida economy, our anticipated intergovernmental revenues are expected
to increase between 5 and 7% on average. During this budget year we will receive $359,612 in funding under the federal American
Rescue Plan Act.

Over the last 4 years I have attempted to raise the minimum wage of all non-law enforcement employees to at least $15 dollars per
hour. This year’s budget takes one more step in that direction. For those employees that have worked with the city for 3 or more
years, that are not earning at least $15 dollars per hour, this budget proposes that their hourly rate be adjusted to $14 dollars per
hour. This budget also proposes a decrease in profit transfer from the Enterprise Funds to the General Fund.

In February 2020 you adopted a wastewater and water system asset management plan under Resolutions 2020-5 and 2020-6
respectively. Under these resolutions you authorized an automatic annual 2% increase in water and wastewater user fees to ensure
that the wastewater and water system remain financially viable. This budget proposes a 7.5% increase in the garbage collection fees.
This increase is due to the increased cost of garbage collection and disposal. This year’s proposed budget does not include a salary
increase for employees; however, we have budgeted a one-time bonus of $1000 for all employees except those employees previously
mentioned as moving to at least $14 dollars per hour.

FY 2021-2022 is expected to be another good year for grant funding for capital improvements in the City of Gretna. This year’s budget
includes $158,757 for the paving of North Street, a carry forward of $180,000 plus an additional $475,000 from the United States Parks
Service for preservation work to the Old Gretna School, $354,360, for the installation of generators at the city’s wastewater facilities
that do not have back-up power, and $54,348 for hardening of the police station and the installation of a backup generator. We also
have a $40,000 grant from the Northwest Water Management District to install new treatment monitoring sensors at the City’s
wastewater treatment plant.

Budget Highlights
REVENUES
The total Fiscal Year 2022 operating, and capital budget is proposed at $5,268,695. The budget includes: $212,710 in tax revenue;
$17,100 from license and permits; $1,881,407 in intergovernmental revenue; $243,120 in miscellaneous revenue which includes the
$160,000 annual contribution from Creek Entertainment Gretna for law enforcement; $2,750,260 in Enterprise Fund revenue which
includes $1,576,000 in water system revenue, of which $1,083,433 in grants for water system improvement to include the replacement
of the Church Street water tank; $1,012,560 in wastewater revenue which includes $444,060 in grants for wastewater system
improvements; $161,700 in garbage revenue, and finally $164,098 in interfund transfers.
EXPENDITURES

The FY 2022 budget reflects expenditures of $ 1,082,125 in personnel cost, $1,239,937 in operating expenses, $125,085 in debt service,
$2,322,165 in capital improvements, $335,285 in fund reserve, and $164,098 in interfund transfers.