Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Information

Elkins W. Va., March 22, 2024: At Thursday’s meeting, Elkins City Council unanimously approved a General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2025 that is about $600,000 more than the FY 2024 budget and maintains the city’s property-tax rates at current levels. Fiscal Year 2025 will run from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

In addition to money needed to sustain and continue existing services and operations of the city government, the approved FY 2025 budget includes new funding for the creation of a new two-person stormwater team, two K-9 units in the police department, training and other resources to work toward national accreditation for the police department, increased street paving, a modernized human resources department, and expanded public communication technology.

The approved FY 2025 budget also includes $583,496 in contributions to about two dozen partner and community organizations. These entities are not under the city’s control but nonetheless provide important services, stage community events, and otherwise make important contributions to the life of this community. The list includes the Elkins Parks and Recreation Commission, the Randolph County Development Authority, the Randolph County Humane Society, Country Roads Transit, Our Town, the library and health department, and various other authorities, agencies, and organizations.

For the first time this year, the city is also contributing $50,000 to Randolph County Emergency Medical Services to help ease staffing pressures for this vital community resource.

Council’s proposed FY 2025 budget, also known as the “levy estimate/budget document,” must now be submitted to the state auditor’s office, which will inspect it for accounting and procedural errors.

Council will then meet on the third Tuesday in April (April 16), when it can “lay the levy,” i.e., finally adopt its FY 2025 budget.

• Proposed FY 2025 budget: $6,266,793
• FY 2024 budget: $5,672,028
• Difference: +$594,765

Balance

One of the things the auditor’s office will verify is that the budget is “balanced,” i.e., that projected revenues and projected expenditures are equal. This requires estimating both the city’s income and outlays for FY 2025. The auditor’s office will also check for compliance with state budgeting guidelines and accounting best practices.

Projected Carryover

Estimating the city’s future income requires projecting how much (if any) of the money budgeted for FY 2024 will remain at year’s end (i.e., June 30).

• Estimated carryover from FY 2024: $648,261

Projected Revenues

Estimating the city’s future income also requires estimating revenues from the city’s share of county property taxes, city business and occupation taxes, the 1 percent municipal sales tax, the utility excise tax, and the rest of the city’s approximately 3 dozen revenue categories.

• Estimated revenues for FY 2025 (inc. FY2024 carryover): $6,266,793.00

Projected Expenditures

Estimating the city’s expenses requires projecting personnel, equipment, and supply costs for day-to-day operations, planned special projects, and contingencies for unexpected necessities and emergencies. In addition to the cost of sustaining and continuing current services and operations in the face of ever-increasing costs for fuel and supplies, the budget also includes funds for the following new needs and initiatives:

• Funding for a new two-person stormwater team ($100,000)
• Increased Social Security costs for police officers after a legislative change ($100,000)
• A one-percent increase in employee wages

Estimated expenditures for FY 2025: $6,266,793.

Contributions to Outside Organizations

Council included the following funding amounts for partner and community organizations in the FY 2025 budget, for a total of around $600,000:

• Airport Authority: $15,000
• Appalachian Forest Heritage: $2,000
• Arts Center: $5,000
• Chamber of Commerce: $2,500
• Child Advocacy Center: $10,000
• Citizens Promoting Community: $2,500
• Country Roads Transit: $15,000
• Development Authority: $13,500
• Emergency Medical Squad : $50,000
• Health Department: $5,500
• Historic Landmarks Commission: $4,000
• Humane Officer (county): $7,000
• Humane Society: $12,000
• Library: $22,500
• Main Street: $5,000
• Our Town (fireworks): $2,500
• Tree Board: $3,700
• Elkins Depot Welcome Center: $100,000
• Elkins Parks and Recreation Commission: $305,796

Water & Sewer Funds

Per state law, revenues and expenditures for the city’s water and sewer utilities must be managed and accounted for entirely separately from the General Fund. No General Fund revenues, such as sales tax, may be used for costs of the Water or Sanitary Funds, and vice versa. The city also accounts for fire department revenues and expenses in a standalone Fire Department Fund.

For more on the rules separating the General Fund from other funds:
www.cityofelkinswv.com/departments/finance/explainer-governmental-vs-proprietary-funds

For more about the city’s budget process:
www.cityofelkinswv.com/departments/finance/budget