By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The city of Groveport’s proposed 2017 budget appears to be more streamlined than budgets of the past.
“There’s not a lot of new stuff,” said Groveport Finance Director Jeff Green at Groveport City Council’s Oct. 11 meeting. “Also, most of our city departments have scaled back (expenditures).”
Council will discuss the proposed 2017 city budget on Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the municipal building, 655 Blacklick St.
The proposed general fund total for 2017 is $15.9 million, up from $15.6 million in 2016.
In order to build more of a financial cushion, council directed city officials, when working on the next two years’ budgets, to add 20 percent to the general fund balance each year until it reaches an ending balance between $1.5 million to $2 million. The general fund balance at the end of 2016 is expected to be around $714,430 and about $1.4 million at the end of 2017.
The budget also increases the annual contribution to the rainy day fund from $100,000 to $150,000 with the goal of eventually reaching a balance of $2 million. The estimated 2016 year end balance for this fund is $633,333.
The budget raises the amount from income tax revenues paid to the debt service fund balance from 15 percent to 20 percent.
Proposed projects
A highlight of the proposed budget are several planned projects, including these scheduled in 2017:
•The $2.1 million Hendron Road reconstruction project from Main Street to Glendening Drive, which is funded by an Ohio Public Works Commission grant of $446,713, a no interest loan of $1.3 million from the county, with the remainder from local funding. This project includes storm sewers, curb and gutter, street lights, a shared use 8 foot asphalt path on the west side of the street, a sidewalk on the east side of the street, improved drive approaches, improved crosswalks and pedestrian signaling at Glendening Drive, a 12 inch water main from Main Street to Glendening Drive, and a sidewalk on the east side of the street from Glendening Drive to Cherry Blossom Drive.
•The West Bixby Road reconstruction project from Bixby Ridge Drive east to a point in front of Madison Christian School. This project is funded with an Ohio Public Works Commission grant of $407,065, a no interest loan of $254,500, and local funding of $80,000.
•East Bixby Road repavement from Ebright Road to U.S. Route 33 at an estimated cost of $433,000.
•Annual street maintenance program at an estimated cost of $450,000. Depending on funding, the streets that could possibly be done in 2017 are those in the Hanstein Addition, Elm Street from West Street to the Ace Hardware parking lot, Tallman Street near Green Street, Hendron Road north of State Route 317, Marketing Place, and the public parking lot along Wirt Road behind the Main Street businesses.
Projects slated for 2018 include:
•New water mains for the Hanstein Addition at an estimated cost of $825,000.
•Front Street water services replacement at an estimated cost of $100,000. This project involves taking properties on the east side of the street off the existing, aging 2 inch water line and tapping them into the newer 8 inch water line on the west side of the street.
•The annual street maintenance program.
Proposed purchases
The proposed 2017 budget includes these other planned expenditures: police radios, $15,400; tuckpointing Town Hall, $10,000; senior transportation van, $11,000 (plus $44,000 from a grant); GREAT bus stop for city’s shuttle bus transportation program that serves the industrial parks, $10,000; sprayer for golf course, $60,000; golf cart replacement, $284,262; roof replacement over banquet portion of golf club house, $32,000; sidewalk replacement, $50,000; park equipment, $75,000; Fourth of July celebration, $47,500; and Apple Butter Day, $18,250.
