Old sales tax-funded items in new budget

City crews roll out sod Wednesday afternoon, one of the finishing touches on McCook's new municipal center. (Bruce Crosby/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Several projects that sales tax funds were set aside for during the 2012-13 budget process but were not completed are proposed to have funds committed again in the upcoming budget.

Among those, $35,000 in improvements to the Karrer Park shower house from the one percent sales tax receipts will be budgeted for the second consecutive year and $80,000 will be committed for the second consecutive year for improvements to the Kelley Park restrooms.

$130,000 is proposed to be budgeted for a city water slide from 1/2 percent sales tax receipts. The $130,000 slated for a city water slide is actually less than the $180,000 that was budgeted to go toward the item in the previous year's budget. Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff informed councilors during the 2012 budget process that the project price was increasing and would exceed even the $180,000 budgeted, which raises questions about budgeting $130,000 for the item in the upcoming budget.

The East H Street improvement project and a bond payment in excess of $600,000 on the newly constructed Municipal Center will claim the bulk of one percent city sales tax receipts during the upcoming fiscal year. City staff outlined their proposed use for sales tax revenue in their preliminary budget released earlier this week and the McCook City Council will be officially presented the proposed 2013-14 city budget, Monday evening, 7:30 p.m., during a public meeting at the Municipal Center.

Budgeted one percent sales tax revenue projects are led by the East H Street improvement project at $682,959, followed by the facilities bond payment at $603,343.

Other items include drainage improvements at Weiland field budgeted for $70,000; $25,000 for a city monument sign; $23,000 for carpet at the library; $11,000 for improvements to city ball parks; $6,022 for other park improvements; and $4,539 for promo signs.

$11,415 in one percent sales tax revenue is listed as uncommitted.

Actual City of McCook 1 percent sales tax receipts are estimated to end the 2012-13 fiscal year at just shy of $1.7 million.

The additional 1/2 percent sales tax receipts, which is split evenly between LB840 economic development funds and infrastructure improvements, is estimated to end the 2012-13 fiscal year at $849,142.

The 2013-14 proposed budget initially plans to leave the majority of the city's portion of those fund uncommitted. $207,082 is proposed to be left uncommitted; $93,700 will be committed to cover the city's match portion of the downtown McCook CDBG grant funded improvement project; and $60,000 is proposed to go toward drainage improvements.