2015 to 2016 City of Muskegon Budget

By: Emily Guiles

In the most recent City of Muskegon council meeting the city council and police chief Lewis honored the recent graduates of the citizen police academy. 19 academy members began the program and 17 completed the program. This program only takes 10 days to complete, every Wednesday night, and is held twice a year.

The 2015 to 2016 budget was presented by City Manager Frank Peterson and Finance Director Derrick Smith. Anticipating 25,400,153 dollars in revenue approximately 3.75 percent more than 2015 forecast anticipating 25,318,055 in expanses, not including improvements to LC Walker arena. State shared revenue is 16 percent and taxes 61 percent all other 23 percent. The budget is expecting a slight decrease in 5K funds. And there will be four construction projects, Getty Street, Musketawa Trail, completing the road work on Muskegon and Webster, and Laketon; Lakeshore to Nevada. Commissioner Turnquist expressed that he did not want to see all the budget spent up front.

In other business Melrose Pyrotechnics asks for a permit for their fireworks display on July third 2015 at the Muskegon Country Club 2801 Lakeshore Drive. The board voted to approve this permit on the contingent that Fire Marshall Metcalf will inspect the fireworks on the day of the event.

Also Michigan Municipal League Membership requested the approval to pay the 2015- 2016 MML dues in the amount of 9,647 dollars, which is an increase of 152 dollars. The staff recommendation is to approve the request.

There was also a request for a sewer rate adjustment, the cities last adjustment was on January first 2010, which was a 25 percent increase. Since that adjustment Sappi Paper closed its facility which was responsible for much use of the city’s waste water system. The request is that the City Commission approves a treatment rate for customers that is based on multiplier of the rate the county bills the city.