First let me wish everyone a Happy New Year. Really enjoyed my holidays with the kids and grandkids. I will say this, Sault Ste. Marie, MI was above average in temperature and had minimal snowfall. Not good as their tourist industry depends on it.
Anyway, tomorrow will be an interesting council committee meeting. Councilmember Eric Jenkins (Ward II) had made some suggestions regarding the method to present the budget to the council and accordingly the public. The suggestions were geared to make it more understandable to all. The city's Finance Director, Maureen Rogers will show what the new presentation will look like. Budget presentations can be hard to understand and dull. Hopefully a presentation that is easier to understand will get more individuals involved in the process.
Also, as a result of a suggestion last year, there will be a discussion about setting aside unused project monies for matching funds. Some projects come in at amounts lower than projected. These surpluses could be used towards matching funds for other projects where there is funding from county, state or federal agencies that require matching funds. Now, the term "matching funds" can be misleading, as usually the match is not dollar for dollar. Example: There could be a project that costs $600,000. The state may pay $500,000 for it and require the city to pay $100,000 to get the state's money. The percentages vary, but usually the city's share is quite small compared to the amount by the other entity.
Click here for information from the agenda packet.
