Capital projects drive up proposed Geneva budget Adding third floor to parking deck is one of them

Geneva’s preliminary 2013-14 budget calls for spending about $13.5 million more than the city expects to spend this fiscal year.

Much of the increase is due, however, to the $5.28 million the city expects to spend on the parking deck on South Third Street, including $4.75 million to build a third floor. Metra is paying for the expansion.

The majority of the rest of the increase also comes from increased spending on capital projects.

The city also expects to spend about $2 million more for water- and sewage-related projects; again, the money will come from user fees.

Overall, the proposed budget unveiled Monday projects expenses of $83.7 million, compared to projected 2012-13 expenses of $70.68 million. City officials expect that spending this year will be about $3 million less than they budgeted.

The fiscal year ends April 30.

The proposed budget expects revenue of $70.68 million, compared to $70.17 million for this year.

The enterprise funds — electricity, water/wastewater, refuse, cemetery and commuter parking — will account for $53.72 million of the spending in the proposed budget.

The city council will discuss the budget again at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting starting at 7 p.m. at city hall, 109 James St. A public hearing will be conducted April 15, and the council will vote on it that night.

The final budget proposal will be posted on the city’s website, geneva.il.us, April 1. The preliminary version can be seen in the council packet for the March 18 meeting.