Batavia Council approves city budget, tax levy – Shaw Local

The Batavia City Council approved a $148 million budget for 2023 at Monday’s meeting.

“The total expenditures are $148,478,112,” said Batavia Finance Director Peggy Colby. “We added $200,000 to the revenue amount, for a total of $135,708,702.”

The city’s budget will have a deficit of nearly $13 million.

“We will be using reserves to make up that deficit,” said City Administrator Laura Newman after the meeting. “We feel that our reserves are much higher than what our policy requires, and so we think it’s prudent to utilize the reserves in order to bridge that gap.”

Alderman Alan Wolff said that the recently added $200,000 will be going to city infrastructure projects.

The city’s general fund, which accounts for day-to-day operations, included $33.2 million in revenues and $33.7 in expenditures, according to documents.  General fund reserves were just over $16 million.

In addition to the budget, the council approved the 2023 tax levy at the meeting.

“Our levy amount is $8.7 million, and our rate is expected to be $0.738, which is what we had for this year, so no increases to the rate.”

“Batavia continues to remain on the low end [of taxes],” Colby said.

According to documents, fire and police services and pensions had the largest impact on the levy, with a total of $1.2 million and $2.8 million levied respectively.

The city also voted to purchase a 1997 100-foot Seagrave Aerial Ladder Truck from St. Charles Fire Department.

The truck will cost $55,000, according to documents.

Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke said that the purchase would allow the city to maintain its ISO Class 1 rating.

“There’s only a limited number of fire departments in the state that have an ISO Class 1,” Schielke said.

Schielke said that part of the deal will allow the St. Charles to access the reserve vehicle in an emergency.

“We can have a ladder truck on each side of town, which can certainly help strengthen our ISO Class,” he said.