The much discussed nearly 2 million dollar cut from the city’s FY2011 budget has started speculations – where exactly this cut will happen?

Considering the total amount of the current budget of $13 million, the amount of this cut is huge – a whopping 15%. The cut is going to happen due to expected loss of revenues – mainly from a reduced property tax from residents in the upcoming year.

Here is what Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich (Dist. 3) thinks:

With less revenue, the council’s primary goal will be to limit expenses while continuing to provide essential services like trash pickup, street maintenance and police service, It’s going to be a challenging budget, no question about it,” Stullich said. “I’m not quite sure how we’re going to do it. We have to hope that staff can be very creative.

What this cut also means that the residents will most likely be discouraged from making their wishlists in the upcoming budget. Here is what the city manager and the finance director say:

Nagro and Groh asked council members to limit requests for “wish list” projects in their districts, initiatives that range and the city could dip into its “rainy day” undesignated revenue.

The NCPCA members typically make such wish lists before the budget is presented for approval.