During a public hearing last Thursday evening at Rugby City Hall, members of the Rugby City Council who were present voted to approve the 2019 budget.

With a mill valuation of $7,617 (down $40 from 2018), the city will levy $796,599 in property taxes for 2019 or 104.58 mills. Of that total $684,099 or 89.81 mills will go toward the city’s general fund; $45,500 or 5.97 will go toward the city’s Public Recreation fund; $19,000 or 2.49 mills will go toward Snow Removal; and $48,000 or 6.30 mills will be levied for the Heart of America Public Library.

The city projects over $4.9 million in proposed revenues for all funds, and over $5.1 million in proposed expenditures, leaving a net budget of negative $190.548.

An estimated $878,982 will be transferred in 2019. Of that total $140,000 will be transferred from the Water Supply Enterprise Fund ($70,000 from treatment and $70,000 from distribution) to the Water Supply Capital Improvement Fund; the Capital Equipment fund will receive $100,000 from the Highway & Streets fund ($50,000 will be set aside for a new payloader and the remaining $50,000 will be set aside for a new street sweeper) and $5,000 from the General fund (set aside for a new police vehicle); $32,108 will be transferred from Infrastructure to the General fund ($23,908 for weed control and public grounds and infrastructure maintenance, $6,000 as a payment on the Library elevator project and $2,00 for warning sirens); $110,000 will be transferred from Infrastructure to the Buildings Capital Improvement Reserve fund ($100,000 for the swimming pool roof and $10,000 set aside for City Hall); $50,000 will be transferred from the Sewer Operations Enterprise fund to the Sewer Capital Improvement fund; $19,000 will be transferred from the General fund to Recreation to offset Recreation Program costs; $47,685 will be transferred out of Infrastructure as a bond payment on the Fire Hall; $200,000 will transferred out of Infrastructure to fund Highway & Streets; $149,775 will be transferred out of Infrastructure to fund the city’s portion of 2009 special assessments; and $25,414 will be transferred out of Infrastructure to fund the city’s portion of 2013-2 Chalmer’s Addition Specials.

During the meeting council members present also passed the second reading of Ordinance No. 412, which makes the annual appropriations for city expenditures.