City of St. George
Fiscal Year 2008-09
Budget Summary
Have you wondered
about how much the City of St. George receives in annual revenue and where
those dollars go? The fact is, very few
people preoccupy their time with the City’s annual budget because they are busy
trying to manage their own finances. In
contrast, almost every citizen wants to know that their tax dollars and other
public funds are being spent responsibly and that they are getting their
money’s worth.
In January
2006, Dan Jones & Associates released a survey commissioned by the Utah
League of Cities & Towns which revealed some interesting perceptions:
♦Survey: 24% believe cities/towns receive
revenue from Income Taxes
Fact: Cities/towns
receive $0 from Income Tax revenues
♦Survey: Only 39% believe that cities/towns
receive Sales Tax revenue
Fact: All
cities/towns receive a portion of Sales Tax paid both locally and across the State of Utah
St. George: Of
the 6.2% sales tax rate in Washington County, St. George receives
1% which makes up 34% of General Fund revenues, and an additional .30%
dedicated to transportation projects
♦Survey: Respondents believe that 64% of the
total property taxes paid goes to their city/town
Fact: Utah
municipalities receive an average of only 15% of personal property taxes paid
St. George: For
each $1 paid in property taxes, the City of St. George receives 13.75˘ (see Property Tax
Distribution chart), which makes up only 14.6%
of General Fund revenues
The City
operates on a fiscal year that begins July 1st and ends June 30th. The Fiscal Year 2009 budget was adopted on
June 19, 2008 and became effective July 1, 2008.
From
protecting our community to putting out fires to maintaining roads and parks,
the City of St. George
provides virtually every essential service that contributes to your quality of
life. So how does the City pay for the
services it provides and how are the dollars being spent?
GENERAL FUND
The City’s
General Fund accounts for services provided for the general health, welfare,
and safety of our citizens. Based upon
the nature of these services, citizens are generally not charged a “user fee”
for these services. These services
include Public Safety, Public Works, Leisure Services,
Development Services, Community Development, and General Government functions. Other City funds, such as Power, Water,
Garbage, Sewer, Golf, and Impact Fees are independent of the General Fund and accounted
for separately.
Due to the
current condition of the federal, state, and local economy, City departments
were given the goal of achieving a 10% decrease from the previous year’s budget. Many departments were able to meet the 10%
cut. As such, this year’s General Fund
budget is $45.2 million and reflects a decrease of approximately 4% from
last year’s approved budget.
The “General
Fund, Operating Statement – 2008-2009” chart shows the budgeted revenues and
expenditures. The City’s did not
increase its property tax rate as City departments strived to implement
expenditure cuts before proposing any fee increases; however, some minor fee
increases were needed.
Public
Safety, Public Works, and Leisure Services are the three largest departments in
the General Fund. Public Safety includes
police, emergency dispatch, and fire.
Together they comprise over one third of the General Fund budget with Police
& Dispatch at 29.5% and Fire at 7%.
Public Works includes
streets, fleet management, engineering, airport, and administration. The Streets Division accounts for 10.5% of
the General Fund 2009 budget.
Leisure Services
provides various recreational services and facilities to our citizens. These services include parks, trails, recreation
center, Pioneer Center
for the Arts, adult and youth sports programs, two aquatic facilities, cemetery,
and various other recreational activities and events such as the Marathon and Arts Festival. The Parks Division budget alone is about 7.5%
of the General Fund budget.
Some of the
major General Fund Projects scheduled for Fiscal Year 2009 are:
- Continued upgrade of technology services
infrastructure
- Police Dept. new K-9 unit and new and replacement patrol
vehicles
- Final payment and delivery of a new Fire Dept.
pumper truck approved in 2008
- A new grader in the Streets Division to replace the
current 1978 model
ENTERPRISE
FUNDS
The City’s major
enterprise funds include energy (power), water, wastewater collection and treatment,
and golf courses.
Energy Services
is responsible for the installation, maintenance, purchase, and generation of
power for approximately 27,000 residential and commercial customers in St.
George. It is currently the second largest
municipal system in Utah. Energy
Services’ 2009 budget is over $100 million and did not include a rate increase.
Water Services
is responsible for the maintenance, storage, and distribution of water
resources to approximately 20,000 residential and commercial accounts in St.
George. The Water Department’s ’ 2009
budget is $25.6 million and included a 10% rate increase to cover increased
costs of purchasing water from the Washington County Water Conservancy District
and increased costs for system materials.
Some of the
major Enterprise Fund Projects scheduled for Fiscal Year 2009 are:
- A project to allow the City to mix regional water
from Quail Lake with Gunlock Well waters in order to meet federal arsenic
level mandates
- A water line and storage tank in the Sun River area
- Water, sewer, and irrigation lines on the new Mall
Drive bridge
- A second power generation turbine at the Millcreek
Generation Facility
- Completion of the Green Valley power substation and
distribution project
- Wastewater collection system upgrades in the Dixie
Downs area
- A new clubhouse for Dixie Red Hills golf course
CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS
Capital Project
Funds are utilized for the acquisition and construction of major capital
facilities and equipment other than those financed by enterprise funds. Some major capital projects scheduled for
Fiscal Year 2009 are:
- Completion of improvements at the Canyons Softball
Complex
- Completion of the addition to the fleet building and
the Sun Tran bus facility
- Completion of improvements to the 3rd floor
of the Community Arts Center
- Mall Drive bridge over the Virgin River
- Sun River fire station
- Southern Corridor phase I and II (Atkinville
Interchange and new airport road)
- Improvements to Hilton Drive, Brigham Road, Snow
Canyon Parkway, and 120 East (behind Flying J)
- Storm drain from I-15 to the Virgin River (extension
of the Main Street storm drain project)
- Red Hills Parkway expansion and widening
- Soccer fields at the Little Valley Fields complex
- Firehouse Park, south end of Tonaquint Park,
Seegmiller Park, and the Bloomington to Sun River trail
- Design and start of construction for the new airport
OTHER FUNDS
Other Funds are
used for debt service or special revenues which are legally restricted to
expenditures for specified purposes. The
transit system, otherwise known as SunTran, is an example of a special revenue
fund.
ECONOMIC AND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Economic and Redevelopment
Agency funds account for the accumulation of assets to attract industry,
purchase property, and provide a source of funds for city participation in
economic development.
OVERALL
City Management
takes the budgeting process very seriously as the budget is a significant
planning, forecasting, performance measurement, and communication tool as to
the City’s anticipated financial condition for the upcoming year. Every public service comes with a cost and
must be carefully weighted with other competing services to insure that we
achieve the proper balance that you come to expect as a citizen.
Becoming more
familiar with the City budget helps us to recognize and better understand the
public process and why certain projects and other expenditures are approved.
For further
information, this year’s budget can be viewed on the City’s website at www.sgcity.org. Questions regarding the budget may be
answered by calling Deanna Brklacich, Budget & Financial Planning Manager,
at 435-627-4000 or by e-mail at deanna.brklacich@sgcity.org.
Administration 
