Denison collected $410,639 in building permit fees in the budget year that ended Sept. 30, a little more than half of the $775,000 the city had planned on, according to year-end budget amendments the City Council takes up Monday, Nov. 16.
City finance staff blame the gap on a slowdown in development. The same tables show water and sewer tap fees and meter charges also falling short for the same reason.
Under the city's year-end process, formal amendments are required whenever a revenue account comes in $50,000 or more under budget, or a division overspends its total budget by $5,000 or more. Finance Director Laurie Alsabbagh's staff report says the amendments do not change fund balance figures; the city's overall financial position for its operating funds is being presented at the same meeting.
Where revenue fell short
Among the general fund accounts listed:
- Ambulance service brought in $1.54 million against a $1.8 million budget.
- Grant revenue was $1.06 million against $1.93 million, which staff attribute to lower spending and draws on a federal SAFER firefighter staffing grant.
- Transfers in from hotel tax and other funds were about $367,000 below plan.
- Residential trash revenue finished about $198,000 short.
In the utility fund, water sales came to $14.63 million, about $1.1 million under the $15.73 million budget. Card convenience fees dropped to $13,548 from a planned $350,000 because the city no longer collects those fees directly from customers.
Where spending ran over
Fleet services finished about $435,000 over budget, led by $646,267 in diesel fuel against a $420,000 budget and $191,476 in contract repairs against $50,000. The facilities division spent $368,239 on building maintenance, roughly four times its $90,000 line. In the utility fund, engineering and plan review costs reached $619,339 against $250,000, and electricity at the water treatment plant ran about $105,000 over.
