Breaking Down the Budget

The second reading of the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year Budget passed in title only at the May 21 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council.

Ordinance No. 869 provides the details of the budget. Estimated revenues are based upon the previous year and are prepared using the Budget Preparation Handbook created by the Wyoming Association of Municipalities.

For the general fund, $3,395,844.43 is anticipated in revenue. $2,244,408.20 is anticipated to come from taxes. According to the Saratoga Town Treasurer Corina Daley, the largest percentage of those taxes would come from the State Sales and Use Tax and the One Cent Sales Tax, also known as the 5th penny tax. The 5th penny tax revenue can be put toward any municipal expense. Property taxes also dedicate a significant portion, with this area estimated to have the biggest increase in revenue.

Outside of taxes, $107,550 is estimated from licenses and permits with vehicle fees making up the largest percentage. $404,438 is estimated for intergovernmental revenue, $54,000 for charges for service and $20,000 for fines and forfeitures. Finally, $175,200 is estimated from miscellaneous revenues and $390,248.23 from contributions and transfers.

For enterprise revenues outside of the general fund, there is an estimated $7,065,154.82. The Specific Purpose Tax, also known as the 6th penny tax, is estimated to gain the most, with $3,395,000. The 6th penny tax revenue can only be spent on items that are voted on in the ballot. The Impact Fund has the second most, with $1,655,000. In the middle, the Airport Fund has $597,000, the Water Fund $762,000 and the Sewer Fund with $525,522.09. To finish out the enterprise funds, Weed and Pest is estimated to gain $130,632.73 in revenue.

For expenditures, $3,395,844.43 is estimated to be spent from the general fund, the same amount as the revenue. The largest expenditure will be the police department, with $1,191,212.73 being allocated to this area. The lowest expenditure from the general fund is estimated to be $17,243.87 for general expenses for the lake.

The rest of the general fund expenditures has $419,261.87 for town hall administration, $120,043.87 for planning, $40,943.87 for municipal court, $74,918.87 for the fire department, $594,443.87 for the street department, $97,993.87 for the pool, $56,593.87 for the hot pool, $361,343.87 for parks, $171,843.87 for the recreation department and $250,000 for the community center.

Expenditures for enterprise funds are estimated to be the same as the revenue for each fund.

Daley said the expenditures have all generally increased from previous years, due to rising costs. Director of Public Works Emery Penner pointed to the cost of materials being the biggest increase in price.

Also at the May 21 meeting, the council adopted a new pay scale for town employees. Mayor Chuck Davis said the pay scale was already incorporated into the 2024-2025 budget, and the current budget would withstand the change. Davis described the pay scale as starting employees at “x amount of dollars”, before moving them up the scale after a certain amount of time.

“I think it’s a necessary system that needs to be in place, so people can look at that and see where they are, or where they have the opportunity to be in the future,” Penner said during the meeting. “Is it going to be perfect? No, but I think we’re progressing and making steps in the right direction.”

During the report on the baseball fields, a comment from a member of the public raised concerns about the lack of a four-way stop at the intersection near the baseball fields. The council will potentially look into doing a traffic study to determine the feasibility of installing stop signs near the field.

Ellie Dana Raymer came before the council to talk about an event in August which will bring the AT-6 plane “Nella” to Saratoga for rides and tours. Raymer gave the history of the plane with the Women Airforce Service Pilots to the council before asking them to give permission to the group to extend insurance to the town. Raymer said that if something were to happen, the insurance of the Commemorative Air Force would cover the town. The town passed a motion to give permission to add them to the insurance.

The next Saratoga Town Council meeting will be 6 p.m. on June 4 at the Saratoga Town Hall.

Saratoga Town Council

At-A-Glance

• Bills were approved with deposits having $334,871.13, accounts payable having $92,494.46, transmittals having $51,776.09 and payroll having $41,519.03.
• A Special Event Application was approved for Chris Shannon to host the Stillhouse Blues Band at The Yard on July 5 and 6.
• The town signed a letter of support for a grant for Valley Village Daycare.
• A motion to let the police department buy new vests and car headlights passed.
• The town paid Invoice 2997 to OV Consulting for their work on the Town of Saratoga Transportation Alternatives Master Plan for $14,967.81.
• Carter Edwards resigned from the Department of Public Works (DPW).
• Chris Powell, William Paddock and Skyler Wood were hired to the DPW in water, streets, and weed and pest respectively.
• Council member Jerry Fluty was appointed to be the council representative to the Joint Powers Board.