FY 2023 ADOPTED BUDGET AS OF 9-22-22 - Flipbook - Page 54
Strategic → Priorities and Issues
Priorities and Issues
Priorities:
● The Finance Department works to create a budget that meets the GFOA Budget Award criteria.
This demonstrates the City is following best practices when putting together the City’s budget.
Department needs to implement software updates for Edmunds - financial system, and work on
ACFR book automation implementation.
● The Finance Department requested a new water rate study be performed by an independent
consultant company in FY 2023. Inflation rates of 9.0 - 9.1% in June and July of 2022 have prompted
the need for the rate study.
● The Fire Department will continue to monitor staffing levels and review the options for a third
Station and/or redeployment of existing fire stations.
● The Police Department will hire three additional police officers per a new agreement for school
resource officers with Lake County Schools.
● The Public Works Department will start a new $9,500,000 capital improvement project for the
Bates Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion. The project will increase the treatment
plants’ capacity from 2.4 MGD (millions of gallons per day) to 3.2 MGD. This project has been
divided into two fiscal years, FY 2022-23 and 2023-24.
● The Public Works Department will contract with an independent consultant for a Water and Sewer
Master Plan. The plan will outline and plan capital projects for the City for the next two decades.
● The Community Redevelopment Agency offers a variety of projects: development incentives for
new construction, Gateway improvement grants to encourage economic development, and
business investments within the City of Eustis.
● The City will increase COLA by 4% in FY 22-23 for all City employees, and fund additional
longevity pay salary increase. This is 2% more in COLA increase and new up to 2% longevity
pay in comparison with FY 2021. These efforts are being instituted to reachthe
t state mandated
$15 per hour minimum wage by 2026.
Issues:
The City has many challenges as well as opportunities as we plan for future fiscal years.
● The consumer price index started rising in FY 2021, and in the May of FY 2022, it reached
9.1%. These are the highest levels since December 1981. Increasing food, gas, and energy
prices to all contribute with gas up 43.6% and fuel oil up 106.7% over the past year.
● COVID -19 is still an issue; the City still experiences COVID-19 outbreaks that slow down
City’s operations.
● The Risk Management insurance is rising its rates by 10%, the same increase as City had last
year.
Additional concerns as we look toward next year’s budget and beyond include the need for more
water/sewer capital projects and the need to optimize City budgeting and billing processes, which
will help our employees become more productive and efficient in implementing the City’s budget
book preparation and City customers’ water billing.
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City of Eustis, Florida
Adopted Annual Budget