City officials have taken the first step in approving the budget for calendar year 2025.
Columbus City Council members on Tuesday night unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance establishing the city’s appropriations and tax rates for next year.
Columbus’ proposed budget for 2025 is about $115 million up from $109 million in 2024. The 2025 certified property tax rate is expected to be about $1.0535 for every $100 of assessed value, down 4% from last year.
“I am projecting that the certified tax rate will come in the lowest that it’s been in 10 years, and probably longer,” Regina McIntyre, city controller, told council members.
Built into the budget are up to 4% salary increases for city employees, employee health insurance premium increases of 5%, and an expected increase in utility expenses, including a 12% increase in electric costs, a nearly 11% increase in water and sewer costs and a 2% increase in the cost for gas, per McIntyre.
McIntyre walked the council through a presentation with pie-charts that showed budgeted revenues from all of the city’s funds, along with accompanying budgeted expenses for 2025.
In terms of where the city’s 2025 budgeted revenue comes from, about 71% is through property and local income taxes, while about 12% is through grants on the federal and state level.
Employee salary and benefits are 57% of budgeted expenses.
Below is a breakdown of how much is budgeted in city funds reviewed by the Department of Local Government and Finance (DGLF):
- General Fund: $57.4 million
- Debt Service Fund: $660,450
- Fire Pension Fund: $2.8 million
- Police Pension Fund: $1.3 million
- Thoroughfare Fund: $2.4 million
- Local Road & Street Fund: $850,000
- Motor Vehicle Highway Fund: $2.2 million
- Recreation Fund: $7.5 million
- Park Bond Fund: $404,966
- Cumulative Capital IMP (CIG Tax): $139,250
- Cumulative Capital Development Fund: $2.5 million
- Total: $78.3 million
Below is a breakdown of how much is budgeted in city funds not reviewed by the DGLF:
- Aviation Fund: $3.4 million
- Police Continuing Education Fund: $50,000
- Local Income Tax Public Safety Fund: $800,000
- Aviation Non-Reverting Fund: $370,000
- Police Alarm SYS Fund: $25,000
- NexusPark Fund: $1.2 million
- Medical Non-Reverting Fund: $25,000
- Unsafe Building Fund: $40,000
- Economic Dev Income Tax CEDIT Fund: $4.9 million
- Commons Operating/Capital Fund: $1.2 million
- Streetscape Fund: $55,000
- Riverboat Fund: $431,600
- City Hall Non-reverting Fund: $0
- Community Crossing Grant Fund: $1.5 million
- Fire Training Facility Fund: $103,100
- Substance Abuse Non-Reverting Fund: $500,000
- Rental Registration Fund: $1,500
- 46 Overpass Fund: $300,000
- Community Development Block Grant Fund: $822,000
- FAA Grant Fund: $6.5 million
- Insurance Non-reverting Fund: $10.4 million
- Redevelopment Fund: $1.4 million
- American Recovery Act Fund: $1.4 million
- Transit Non-reverting Fund: $2.8 million
- Total: $37.1 million
The second reading of the budget is scheduled for Oct. 15, according to Council President Frank Miller, R-District 4.
