As the Joplin City Council begins their work on the 2016-17 budget, the Council has scheduled upcoming work sessions to discuss several topics related to the budget.
The first work session, scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on Monday, August 22 on the fifth floor of City Hall, will include a Budget 101 overview, with Finance Director Leslie Haase providing details about government accounting. The discussion will include explanations of how the various funds of the City work, including sources and uses of funds. In addition, information on the past ten years of Joplin’s finances will be reviewed.
Other budget work sessions are scheduled for Monday, August 29 and Monday, September 12, and final sessions are set for Tuesday, September 20, 21 and possibly September 22, if there are still items needing discussion at that date. Topics for these sessions will include employee pay, a review of the parks & stormwater sales tax program, and a thorough review of the line-item budget. In addition, Council will hear from representatives of the Joplin Historical Museum, the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, and the General Employees group of the City to discuss their budget requests.
The work session date for each of these topics is still being determined, and will be announced soon with the exact time of the meeting. All work sessions will be held during the evening on the fifth floor of Joplin City Hall, 602 South Main Street.
“The City’s budget includes a great deal of information relating to upcoming City projects, capital expenses, operations and maintenance needs, as well as personnel expenses,” said City Manager Sam Anselm. “All of these items, along with general revenues, grants and proprietary funds, can be somewhat confusing for someone who is not familiar with the specifics of governmental accounting or city budgets. These work sessions provide the opportunity for Council members to review materials, ask questions and discuss the next year’s projects as they relate to the budget.”
The work session on August 29, 2016 will follow a Council Special Meeting to hold a Public Hearing on the Property Tax Rate. Following this meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., the Council will adjourn to go into the work session.
The City’s fiscal year runs November 1 – October 31, and the 2016-17 final budget will be on the City Council’s agenda on Monday, October 17 for approval.
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