Naperville cuts road projects to save on debt
It's been a budgeting process full of tough decisions for Naperville City Council members, who are set to finalize next year's spending plan Tuesday night with two more choices about spending and public projects.
Council members will be asked to approve $2.7 million of proposed cuts to next year's capital spending plan to bring the total down to $60.5 million. And they'll vote on a budget to begin Jan. 1 that calls for $433.5 million in total expenditures.
Department heads trimmed $2.7 million of capital projects to help the city take on less new debt next year. The cuts all come from $10.7 million in proposed "unfunded" projects with no defined tax, fee or revenue stream to cover their cost.
One project is proposed to be eliminated, saving $30,000 that could have paid for a traffic signal at Diehl Road and Country Club Boulevard. The remaining nine are suggested to be delayed until 2017.
Projects to be completely delayed include:
• $475,000 on reconstruction of 91st Street from 250th to Schoger Drive to increase the road's capacity after housing development in the area.
• $460,000 on adding turn lanes at 95th Street west of Plainfield/Naperville Road after a bridge over the DuPage River opened connecting 95th to Boughton Road in Bolingbrook.
• $300,200 in repairs to the parking deck and front plaza at the municipal center.
• $205,000 in improvements to Charles Avenue from Ogden Avenue to Bauer Road that will coincide with housing development now expected to begin later than 2016.
• $110,000 in security renovations to the police department lobby.
• $56,000 in upgrades to the police training, conference and roll call rooms.
Projects to be partially delayed include:
• $710,000 of a $1 million fire station alerting system that contacts the closest station when a call comes in.
• $425,000 of $575,000 in network security infrastructure to meet standards for online credit card transactions so the city can accept payments on its website.
• $60,000 of an $80,000 system to track police activity and provide real-time data.
Delaying spending on these items will help decrease the amount the city needs to borrow for capital projects next year to $3.6 million, Finance Director Rachel Mayer said. Total new debt next year will be $15.8 million, pending city council approval of the budget during a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the municipal center at 400 S. Eagle St.
Delays to capital projects are in addition to other changes the city council approved to fill a $6.4 million budget gap and account for a projected $1.4 million decrease in revenue from telecommunications taxes, fire department staffing grants and 911 service reimbursements next year.
The council also voted to increase garbage fees from $2 to $10.35 a month; increase electric rates by 8.3 percent; and add a home-rule sales tax of 0.5 percent beginning Jan. 1.