City Of Mentor Discusses Proposed 2013 Budget At Work Session

Mentor City Manager Kenneth Filipiak and City Council discussed the proposed budget for 2013 during a work session Tuesday.

While the budget is not finalized until Council approves it, the proposed budget does give a good idea of what the final budget will probably look like.

Here are some highlights from the proposed budget:

The suggested 2013 budget is $53 million, as opposed to the 2012 that was $51 million.

Filipiak explained that operational expenses for this and next year will be similar. The $2 million difference comes from additional capital programs, he said.

As in previous years, 2013's capital programs would focus on infrastructure and roads. Here are the major roadway improvements planned for 2013 and what they will cost the city.

• The Plaza Boulevard extension that will connect Tyler and Mentor Avenue -- $3.4 million.
• The Munson Road resurfacing from Center Street to Andrews Road -- $540,000.
• Route 306 resurfacing from the city's southern border to Route 84 -- $230,000.
• Improvements to the Interstate 90/Center Street interchange -- $715,000
• These do not include another $2 million that will be committed to the city's annual road repair program.

While the city intends to drop from 364 full-time employees this year to 361 next year, it intends to add two full-time police positions. The additional positions will focus on drug enforcement, Filipiak said.

Employees will receive a 2-percent raise next year, as dictated by their contracts. The city is also expecting a 5-percent increase in health insurance premiums.

Overall, the city expects to lose about $2 million in state funding from this year to the next .

Furthermore, the city anticipates about a 5 percent reduction in property tax receipts (about $250,000) because of the county's upcoming property revaluations.

Fortunately, other revenue streams for the city have been strong. Income tax collections are 10 percent ahead of where they were last year, Filipiak said.