City of Newton
NEWTON, Kan. — At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Commission adopted the 2024 budget, which includes a mill levy increase of 1.5 mills to fund two positions in Fire/EMS and Police. The increase equates to an additional $17.25 a year on a $100,000 home.
The small increase will allow the City to fill the two public safety positions that have been held open as a cost-saving measure, and will leave the City with a 13% reserve balance, just shy of its 15% fund balance policy.
Budgeted expenditures for 2024 are $55,838,724, a decrease of almost $1.3 million from 2023, primarily because of eliminating the extra loan payment on the Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade project.
Over the past few years, the City has worked diligently to cut expenses; delayed hiring, projects, and maintenance where possible; and extended the life of vehicles and equipment, while accommodating new growth and development and maintaining City services at a minimum standard. All departments continue to seek any cost-saving measures that are available to them.
The City Commission has prioritized community development in recent years to help grow the tax base in the long term, which has resulted in an uptick in development projects and needed services. Newton is now starting to see the resulting revenue growth, with a 10% increase in assessed valuation over last year, after many years of relatively stagnant growth. If this trend can continue, it will mean a broader tax base and reduced burden on current property owners.
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