Funding for local and major street projects and subsequent repairs is set to fluctuate across the next few years in East Lansing, based on budget projections presented Tuesday to the East Lansing City Council.
East Lansing Director of Public Works Todd Sneathen and Finance Director Mary Haskell presented documents to the council at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road, prior to its regular meeting, detailing changes that project a deficit at the start of the next fiscal year in the city’s fund for major street repairs.
Budget estimates put the deficit at about $112,127 for the start of the 2012-13 fiscal year.
The budget also estimates the city’s local streets fund will start the year with a positive balance of about $14,968.
Fluctuations in the budget have occurred often in the past several years, Sneathen said.
“As you’re well aware, the local and major street funds have previously been in deficit,” he said at the meeting.
The city is planning for three projects to address local street repairs in the next fiscal year, Sneathen said, but is not planning any local street projects in the 2013-14 fiscal year in an attempt to save money.
East Lansing receives about $40 per city resident toward road repairs, snow and ice control and street sweeping, among other items, through a Michigan law known as the Gas and Weight Tax Act.
Other funds come from the federal government and a matching process from the Michigan Department of Transportation, among others.
Documents project the city is set to spend more than $3.7 million between either major street or miscellaneous and special street repair projects running from the 2012-13 fiscal year to fiscal year 2015-16.
Other utility costs also were a point of emphasis at the budget discussion.
A typical resident’s quarterly water bill is expected to increase by about $4.51, or 8 percent, in the 2013-14 fiscal year because of rising water expenses.
A typical water bill for the 2012-13 fiscal year was about $56.38, according to council documents.
“Every year, that product … just goes up year after year,” Councilmember Vic Loomis said at the meeting.
The city’s operating and infrastructure expenses make it difficult to cover the costs of water services for the city, Sneathen said.
Councilmember Don Power said the process of preparing city budget projections could not have been easy for city staff.
“You’ve done a great job of getting everything together,” Power told Haskell and Sneathen at the meeting.
Council members will make a final vote on the proposed budget during their May 15 meeting. Another budget work session is scheduled to take place April 24 at City Hall.
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