For the second consecutive year, Aurora’s budget does not call for reductions in general operations or for layoffs and includes salary increases for employees.
That’s the good news from City Manager Skip Noe’s , which he will present to the City Council in a study session Wednesday evening.
“The budget is a lot more pleasant process this time around than it has been ,” Aurora City Councilman Bob Broom said.
The general fund budget, which pays the operating costs of running the city, is expected to grow about 8 percent from the current estimates of $270 million this year to $291 million in 2015. Revenue from sales tax also is expected to tick up again by 3.4 percent, or about $9.4 million.
After nearly flat or minimal pay raises during the past handful of years, Aurora employees will see salary increases of 3.75 percent in 2015 and 2.25 percent in 2016.
Among the biggest earmarked expenditures is the expansion of the Moorhead Recreation Center in the north part of the city: about $9 million. That project calls for, among other things, the expansion of the gym and a new year-round pool.
“It’s a pretty big deal for that part of town,” City Councilman Brad Pierce said.
Also, seven police officers, six civilian evidence and property management workers and a criminalist are scheduled to be hired. At the fire department, four new firefighters are budgeted.
While the recession may be over for the city for now, budget shortfalls are forecast for 2017, 2018 and 2019. That’s because the fees that go into city coffers when a vehicle is purchased in Aurora are expected to be less than they are now.
At an upcoming budget workshop, the council will whittle down other priorities before adopting the final budget by the end of the year. Among the priorities will be taking East Sixth Avenue straight east to E-470, where an interchange is not being used.
“One of the things we skimped on during lean years is road maintenance,” Broom said. “To that extent we can play a little catch-up. We feel that is really important.”
