The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS — Judging from some stores in town, it’s already spooky season in the form of Halloween, but the Brookings City Council was dealing with a different kind of season on Tuesday …
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BROOKINGS — Judging from some stores in town, it’s already spooky season in the form of Halloween, but the Brookings City Council was dealing with a different kind of season on Tuesday night — namely, budget season.
The city’s proposed budget for the coming year adds up to $72,849,780, an increase of $2.5 million from the current budget. That number might change, though, as Tuesday’s discussion was just the first of three planned, with a second public meeting on Sept. 24 and potentially a third on Oct. 8 as well. The current timeline shows final approval coming no earlier than Nov. 12.
Deputy City Manager Jacob Meshke’s presentation sought to break down the overall budget into several, more digestible, parts for the City Council and public:
This fund’s projected portion of the 2025 budget is $21,860,776, an increase of $474,720 from the current-year total. It includes city operations such as public safety, public works, and parks, recreation and forestry. It’s worth noting that:
Revenue for the fund comes from sales taxes (46.9%), property taxes (19.4%) and transfers (15.5%). Altogether, those sources supply approximately 82% of the fund’s income.
These funds must be used for specific purposes, according to information from the city, which are legally restricted or committed. The proposed allocation here for 2025 is $12.4 million, a boost of $2 million from this year. Some points to note regarding this expenditure change:
These funds, whose expenditures are projected at $24.9 million for 2025, are meant to operate in business manner focusing on cost recovery. The projection for the coming year is a decrease of more than $480,000 from this year. Why? You can thank large projects at Brookings Regional Airport (parallel taxiway construction) and Edgebrook Golf Course (water source improvements) that were budgeted for this year.
As part of his presentation, Meshke included information on how property taxes in Brookings are divvied up among governments. Using a $350,000 residence that pays $4,765 in taxes as an example, he noted that:
Information in the presentation also included these tidbits:
The next budget meeting on Sept. 24 will focus on the 10-year capital improvement plan and the city’s fee schedule.
— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.