Longmont City Council members, Tuesday night, presented their own wish lists of projects they wanted to be restored or created in the proposed 2022 budget, including hiring more help to manage Vance Brand Airport and rebuilding Longmont’s battered outdoor facilities.
Council got their first peek at the budget during a work session and will get more details on the city’s finances through the summer and early fall. The rollout ends in the late fall, when the council formally votes on the 2022 budget package.
Numbers indicate the budget is on solid ground, even after a year dealing with COVID-19 shutdowns, city officials told the council.
Sales and use tax revenue through March 2021 is up 13.1% over the same period in 2020, said Jim Golden, Longmont’s chief financial officer. Projected growth in the city’s sales and use tax and Boulder County’s property tax revenue could generate $5 million in new ongoing revenue for 2022, Golden said.
Some of the funding could be used for one-time expenses, he said.
When asked by Golden, council members offered their priorities for the 2022 budget. Councilmember Aren Rodriguez said he wanted to resume work on capital improvement projects and other infrastructure needs, derailed by COVID cutbacks.
Golden said the city has been able to largely restore funds for capital improvements in the city.
Councilmembers Joan Peck and Polly Christensen asked Golden to find funds to hire someone to aid current Vance Brand Airport Manager David Slayter in overseeing the airport.
Councilmember Marcia Martin asked the city to find money to reconstruct public facilities and other amenities that “took a real beating” from the public over the past year. The facilities, including park bathrooms, should be made to better resist the vandalism and heavy uses exerted by the public, she said.
“I really would like to see that addressed … putting our parks and outdoor amenities back together,” Martin said.
Councilmember Tim Waters requested one-time funds to collect data about early childhood needs in Longmont and to begin a study on long-term transportation issues in the city.
