OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Taylor City Council Budget Review - Day Two (April 17, 2025)

City Council — Thursday, April 17, 2025
BodyTaylor, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, April 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:24:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:27

Okay.

0:27

But if this doesn't work, we'll talk about something over here, but more maybe on the side monitor the other year.

0:45

Or if it doesn't run the lesson, this was a very outbreak.

0:49

No, I appreciate it.

0:50

Yeah.

0:52

Yeah, he had he had uh set each kind of a photo.

0:56

Uh also uh found some mics that I think just plug in.

1:02

Yeah, and it's uh each I used the word talking like now they're breaking it.

1:11

That we just like a child.

1:21

Yeah, we have to do that.

1:23

We'll see what's what I was thinking.

1:27

So we can see it's right.

1:32

Okay.

1:33

So you guys all you guys all see stuff on your screen, right?

1:36

Yeah, it's beautiful, thank you.

1:38

Second of all is here as we are.

1:40

Lindsay broke it.

1:43

Can you guys see it?

1:44

Probably mine was on here before, but it's no that I see my screen.

1:52

Uh Charlie Charlie would need one probably.

1:56

One more second over there.

1:58

I think we could share one.

2:00

Yeah.

2:00

And put it in between us so we can see the audience when we're talking to yourself and put it in between.

2:06

I gotta get close.

2:07

Like I said, it's just uh reader trial run.

2:10

If it works fine, if good you can monitor plan B, we're open to feedback.

2:23

What's that strange application you got on your computer?

2:26

What's that?

2:29

I got nothing I said.

2:30

I made sure I cleaned everything off.

2:32

All right, let's uh go ahead and get started.

2:37

You guys don't like it?

2:39

I couldn't see past it.

2:41

Yeah.

2:42

Okay, Mr.

2:43

Chairman, if you're ready, everybody's ready.

2:45

So welcome to day two.

2:47

Um I got a better microphone today too, so hopefully no interference.

2:51

Um so up first uh we have the golf course fund.

2:55

I think Al Grant, the uh golf director, is here.

2:58

And um with the uh screens you have in front of you, I'm going to um go to the pages uh live.

3:05

Um the golf course does start on page 86, but I'm gonna just make a couple comments real quick.

3:11

If you turn to page uh page 91, this is your um your reserves or net income.

3:22

Just to make a comment, we're going to be talking about enterprise type funds today.

3:26

Golf course is one of them.

3:28

Uh the utility funds, the water sewer, e-course creek are the other enterprise funds.

3:33

So that's why we use the term reserves.

3:36

Um is because it's calculated a little bit differently in the eyes of the state than just fund balance.

3:41

So what you see on page uh what you see on page 91 is the estimated beginning reserve uh for the golf course starting next fiscal year.

3:51

Uh but something to point out if you look at the last few years, it's been a a pretty decent, pretty good um uh financial history for the golf course, which is something unheard of because we you know not that long ago we were having some golf course.

4:06

Um keep in mind uh fiscal year 24.

4:10

Uh there was uh like I said, there was no cart lease payments and things like that.

4:14

There was the old maintenance contract, so all those new costs are in the current year budget and also in next year's budget.

4:21

And as I mentioned too on Monday, uh there was a little reduction in revenue because of the uh pending renovations that are gonna happen at the golf course starting in the fall of uh 26.

4:32

So uh without further ado, that's my uh my prepared comments on the status of the golf fund, and Alc is here to answer any questions.

4:40

Good evening.

4:41

Good evening.

4:42

Hi, all right.

4:45

So the first thing right now, it looks like you kind of always have a going in position revenues equaling expenditures, and then try to overachieve that.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████████████25%
Parks and Recreation████████████████16%
Public Safety███████████████15%
Public Engagement█████████████13%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Personnel Matters█████5%
Grant Funding████4%
Procedural██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Taylor City Council Budget Review - Day Two (April 17, 2025)

The City Council held the second day of its 2025/2026 budget review on Thursday, April 17, 2025, beginning at approximately 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Department heads presented proposed budgets and answered council questions. Topics included enterprise funds, public safety staffing, infrastructure, and recreation facilities.

Discussion Items

Golf Course Fund (Enterprise Fund)

  • Golf Director Al Grant and Budget Director Jason reviewed the golf fund. Estimated beginning reserve for FY26 shows improvement; FY24 had no cart lease payments and a new maintenance contract. Revenue is slightly under expenditures by about $7,300. A $3.6 million renovation (bunkers, irrigation, bridges, driving range expansion) funded by TIFA will start fall 2025, causing temporary closures but expected to improve the course. No debt on courses except cart lease debt. Restaurant operations are roughly break-even but improving with new offerings and an event coordinator. Council discussed fee increases based on market analysis and weaning the golf course off TIFA support.

TSX Sportsplex

  • Thomas (Sportsplex manager) reported positive net revenue of about $88,000 for the current fiscal year (amended) and projected $7,700 for FY26. The facility hosts an international roller hockey tournament in July 2025 (900 games over two weeks). Staffing is nearly full; an assistant manager hire is pending. Underutilized upstairs space (weight room, party rooms) is being marketed. Council commended the team.

Assessor's Office

  • Assessing services are fully contracted to WCA; budget includes contractual services, mailings, and attorney fees for tax appeals. No department head present; mayor's office handled questions.

Police Department

  • Chief Blair announced authorization to hire 7 additional officers (4 already certified, 3 going to police academy in July), raising sworn strength to 75 (budgeted at 78 for FY26). Two officers on extended leave, so effective strength about 66. Overtime budget amended from $1.3M to $1.6M; next year's budget reduces to $1M, contingent on full staffing. Many overtime costs are contractual (SOD days, court time, holiday pay). The department is applying for a $775,000 grant for a drone first-responder program and has secured four EV vehicles at no cost. Forfeiture funds used for vehicles and equipment. Council discussed police and fire pension millage increase (0.3 mills).

DPW, Water & Sewer, Roads, Vehicle Maintenance, Animal/Ordinance

  • Ralph (DPW Director) reviewed multiple departments. Ordinance: budget $155,000, includes demolitions. Water/Sewer: Lead service line replacement program ongoing; 124 confirmed lead lines out of 22,000 residential homes (pre-1979 focus). City pays for replacement if homeowner responds; after four contact attempts, responsibility shifts to homeowner. A $5 million infrastructure grant received (not in current budget) will be used for roads, water main, Cooper Lift Station rehabilitation, and other projects. Compost facility: tub grinder and windrow turner may be replaced in next 1-2 years. Animal shelter construction expected to complete by June 3, 2025.

Fire Department

  • Chief Hortis: Current suppression staffing: 37 firefighters (budgeted 48). Ten vacancies, with 15 eligible for retirement. Budgeted total FTE of 52 includes command and clerk. Hiring is slow; two new hires starting end of month. Fire facilities (stations 2 and 3) recently received $1.5 million in improvements. The department uses a grant for paramedic training.

Parks & Recreation, Senior Center, Building & Grounds

  • Guido Yule (Director) presented. Senior Center: 80% funded by SPARK grant, new boiler, generator, and parking lot budgeted. Lane Park: major construction ongoing (skate park, BMX pump track, trails, dog park, docks); aiming for fall 2025 completion. Petting farm: new playscape nearly done. Heritage Park: pursuing grant for fully inclusive playground ($800,000 request). Pickleball courts planned (four courts) using county millage funds. Recreation center adding classes, equipment maintained. Building & Grounds: roof restorations complete; window cleaning contract to be initiated; HVAC upgrades planned; exterior wall repairs at City Hall.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes taken; this was a review session.
  • Police department authorized to hire 7 additional officers (mayoral approval).
  • Golf course renovation approved via TIFA (previous year's budget).
  • Public hearing on the proposed budget set for April 29, 2025, with adoption scheduled for the same meeting.
  • Council discussed the administrative fee (1% of tax levy) and its impact; no action taken.
  • Millage rates: Proposed city operating millage 8.2627 mills, police/fire retirement 8.7531 mills (increase of 0.3 mills).
  • Next steps: Budget adoption required by May 1, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. But if this doesn't work, we'll talk about something over here, but more maybe on the side monitor the other year. Or if it doesn't run the lesson, this was a very outbreak. No, I appreciate it. Yeah. Yeah, he had he had uh set each kind of a photo. Uh also uh found some mics that I think just plug in. Yeah, and it's uh each I used the word talking like now they're breaking it. That we just like a child. Yeah, we have to do that. We'll see what's what I was thinking. So we can see it's right. Okay. So you guys all you guys all see stuff on your screen, right? Yeah, it's beautiful, thank you. Second of all is here as we are. Lindsay broke it. Can you guys see it? Probably mine was on here before, but it's no that I see my screen. Uh Charlie Charlie would need one probably. One more second over there. I think we could share one. Yeah. And put it in between us so we can see the audience when we're talking to yourself and put it in between. I gotta get close. Like I said, it's just uh reader trial run. If it works fine, if good you can monitor plan B, we're open to feedback. What's that strange application you got on your computer? What's that? I got nothing I said. I made sure I cleaned everything off. All right, let's uh go ahead and get started. You guys don't like it? I couldn't see past it. Yeah. Okay, Mr. Chairman, if you're ready, everybody's ready. So welcome to day two. Um I got a better microphone today too, so hopefully no interference. Um so up first uh we have the golf course fund. I think Al Grant, the uh golf director, is here. And um with the uh screens you have in front of you, I'm going to um go to the pages uh live. Um the golf course does start on page 86, but I'm gonna just make a couple comments real quick. If you turn to page uh page 91, this is your um your reserves or net income. Just to make a comment, we're going to be talking about enterprise type funds today. Golf course is one of them. Uh the utility funds, the water sewer, e-course creek are the other enterprise funds. So that's why we use the term reserves. Um is because it's calculated a little bit differently in the eyes of the state than just fund balance. So what you see on page uh what you see on page 91 is the estimated beginning reserve uh for the golf course starting next fiscal year.

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