Following its third reading during Delaware City Council’s year-end meeting Dec. 9, the city’s 2020 budget was approved by council.
The adopted budget contains amendments to include additional funding in four areas. An additional $19,000 was added to the Capital Improvement Fund to provide for future traffic-calming installations. Speeding issues were a popular point of emphasis in 2019, particularly with the Delaware community residing on or near Hull Drive.
“The issue of speeding and four-way stops versus traffic calming is something that we’re dealing with all the time, and recognizing that, you have asked to put an additional $19,000 in the budget,” City Manager Tom Homan said while updating council on the budget.
With the additional $19,000, the Capital Improvement Fund balance shows a total amount of $5,497,779.
Other additions to the budget prior to approval were in the Fire/EMS fund where $391,390 was added to re-appropriate a budgeted amount in 2019 for a traffic pre-emption system, a project in which the city is partnering with Delaware County. The additional funds bring the Fire/EMS total to $13,675,206.
A total of $175,000 was added to the Park Income Tax Fund for bond issuance costs connected to the bond refunding to take place next year, bringing that total to $1,948191.
Due to the 2020 debt service payments inadvertently being left out of the budget, $1,988,124 was added to the Wastewater Capacity Fee Fund.
In the budget, the general fund shows a balance of $25,821,960. The Delaware Police Department makes up a significant portion of the general fund with a total balance of $9,667,551, $8,553,056 of which is dedicated to personnel.
The Point Project Capital Fund, dedicated to funding the total reconstruction of The Point, shows a balance of $2,625,000.
Delaware’s Street Maintenance and Repair Fund shows $4,362,479 in total funding, $1,954,222 of which is for personnel. In the street maintenance subcategory of the fund, a balance of $1,665,773 is shown, specifically for street repairs.
Appropriations for all funds show a total of $116,689,644 for Delaware’s 2020 budget, which will run through Dec. 31, 2020.
Council’s first scheduled meeting of 2020 will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, in City Hall.
