Update on the City’s Award-winning Budget

Posted on 2017/01/292018/04/04 by Gregg Mandsager

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Last week’s post about the upcoming budget sessions describes the process that the City Council and staff undergo to create a budget to meet the needs of our community. This undertaking is no small feat!

Finance Director Nancy Lueck has been with the Finance Department since 1977 and has served as the Director since fall of 2005. Nancy and her team have efficient procedures for handling the budget each year.

Not only does Iowa Code require cities of our size to complete an annual audit, but the City of Muscatine also submits the budget to be reviewed by The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) each year.

The City of Muscatine has been awarded a GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 32 consecutive years. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as an…

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Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget Process

Posted on 2015/11/24 by Gregg Mandsager

The City of Muscatine must adopt an annual budget by March 15th of each year. That process starts in November when departments receive budget materials and instructions.

Throughout the budget process there are numerous opportunities to participate and engage with your City staff and Council members. Below you will find the schedule for this year’s budget process.

Please stayed tuned for periodic updates on the process, issues and challenges we face in putting together a budget for a full service city…a budget that meets our community needs, but that is responsible at the same time.

As always, our ideas and constructive input are most welcome! Please feel free to respond here on Wordress, the City’s Facebook page, other social media outlets or by email. Here is my email address: cityadministrator@muscatineiowa.gov.

BUDGET CALENDAR:

Budget Schedule 2016-2017

2nd Mississippi Drive Engagement Event Was a Success!

Posted on 2015/11/232015/11/23 by Gregg Mandsager

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Thanks to the over 175 participants in our 2nd Mississippi Drive Corridor Event! Your time and participation is much appreciated and will make for a better project. Stay tuned for more!

City of Muscatine

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2nd public engagement event for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project! We were pleased with the attendance and high level of participation by community members. The event was held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the Riverview Center. There were about 175 people who came to hear about potential design plans and provide feedback in a public opinion poll.

If you were unable to attend and would like to take a look at initial design concepts and submit feedback, you may do so at our engineering firm Bolton & Menk’s website: http://bolton-menk.com/mississippidrive.

The Mississippi Drive Corridor Project is exciting for Muscatine! Not only will the road be redone, but Muscatine will be better connected as a result of this project. Mississippi Drive is the key connector of downtown and the riverfront. As our community comes together to create a shared vision for the future of Mississippi Drive…

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2014-2015 City of Muscatine Budget

Posted on 2014/07/03 by Gregg Mandsager

The preparation of the fiscal year 2014/15 budget (http://www.muscatineiowa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10708) involved an overall team effort by city staff and City Council. With the continued uncertainty that affects financial conditions in the state and the community, the challenge to continue high levels of service is one that city staff and Council must approach together. Decisions on the level of service to be provided throughout the community have generated and will continue to generate much discussion, especially when financial resources are limited and there is demand for services to be maintained at the same level or increased. The city will continue to look toward cooperative efforts between other governmental agencies in order to provide the best overall level of service to the community as a whole. However, it is important to be realistic in the expectations of the level of services as they match against the financial resources needed to provide for them. At some point the city will have to recognize it cannot provide all of the levels of service that are demanded by its citizens unless additional funding sources are identified to fund the cost of these additional services. Faced with this situation, elected representatives are forced to choose and prioritize levels of service in the community. Given that almost every service the city provides has a constituency base, future decisions are sure to draw criticism from those affected groups. It is unfortunate but it is a fiscal reality that this and other cities will have to grapple with well into the future. With strong leadership from the Mayor and City Council and a commitment to improve the quality of life in the community, the city staff looks forward to working with elected representatives and the citizens of Muscatine.

The above link takes you to the complete budget document for 2014/15, but the following are some of the keys statistics pulled from the budget document: