Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak on track to deliver balanced budget while also making strategic investments to improve community safety.
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and Chief Administrative Officer Katherine Schad held a press conference today to outline the Burlington’s progress in creating a balanced budget. The administration has successfully closed the $13 million budget gap, which was announced on April 24. Most of the budget gap has been filled by increasing taxes and fees and by using one-time funds, largely from unspent ARPA monies.
Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak shared the following statement on Tuesday morning: “We set out with the goal of creating a budget that prioritized affordability for residents and sustainability of City operations.
“We did this fairly, asking both residential taxpayers and the business community to contribute to closing the gap and undertaking a comprehensive review of general fund expenses to identify areas for right-sizing.
“I am grateful for the collaborative engagement of Department Heads, Union leaders, and my community budget advisors, who leaned in to generate creative solutions.
“Together, we identified additional revenue and cost savings that will allow us to close this budget gap, while also making strategic investments to improve community safety in the coming fiscal year.”
The mayor and CAO presented a range of solutions, including modest increases in taxes, planned savings from positions that will remain vacant in FY25, and increases in fees for some city programs. The presentation from today’s press conference can be found here.
Solutions Include:
- 7.5% attrition included for all departments (except BFD and BPD) based on
historical data - 23 currently vacant positions included in FY25 budget
- Increasing user fees, within reason, according to the study
- Using remaining unused ARPA funds, which must be obligated by 12/31/24, to
help fill the gap - Increasing taxes in a fair way across multiple sectors
- Increasing revenue in other creative ways
The expected recommendations from the Operational Efficiency Study will not be reflected in the FY25 budget. However, those recommendations will be helpful in the coming months as the city plans for future fiscal years, the mayor said.
Source: 5.14.2024. Office of Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
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