Davenport aldermen have started working on next year's budget. The past two Saturday's, the city council discussed the proposed budget and capital improvement program for 2014.
Brandon Wright, Interim Finance Director, says under the budget plan, the property tax rate would stay the same as this year, at $16.78 per $1,000 taxable value. But the proposal calls for a 1.6% increase in the general fund, compared to this year. "Public safety pension costs continue to rise. That's for police and fire personnel."
The proposed Capital Improvement Program totals $208 million, the same as this year. Currently, Davenport pays to park and maintain its Citibuses at a garage in Rock Island. But Wright says Metrolink plans to open its new transit maintenance garage in 2014. Wright says, "There's money in the CIP budget for moving the busses to the public works facility. When you're dealing with federal funds, there are very specific requirements to follow. So we'll have to carve out a separate area for them.
35 percent of the capital improvement budget would pay for sewer work, including the third phase of the west-side tunnel diversion project. Davenport's new Veterans Memorial Park, updating the central fire station and adding on-street parking on Harrison St. north of Locust are a few of the other major projects in the program.
Wright says the Davenport City Council will probably vote on the proposals next month. The state requires cities to submit their budgets by March 15th.