The city of Bowling Green’s finances had an “uneventful” year in 2023, but there are things to watch for in 2024.
The finance committee of council heard a 2023 year-end finance update from Finance Director Dana Pinkert on Monday.
“Overall, the city is fiscally stable,” Pinkert said, “primarily due to a history of, I think, identifying risk and implementing changes before the need becomes immediate.”
Among the highlights of the report, Pinkert noted that the city ended 2023 with a cash position of more than $78.8 million, though that was $9.5 million less than 2022. She said the difference was largely related to payments for the city building, as well as spending of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The city also had $2 million in interest income in 2023.
“In this economy, that is one thing that worked well for us,” Pinkert said.
The city also exceeded projections in its income tax collections, collecting over $24.767 million, a 4.44% increase over estimates, and more than $1 million more than was collected in 2022. She said that again the city is conservatively estimating a 4% increase in income tax revenues this year.
“Considering all the uncertainty we had going into 2023 from a budget perspective, it was uneventful,” Pinkert said. “Our fund balances are adequate, but the budgeting process was a challenge this year and it revealed some places we need to concentrate this year and plan for the future.”
She said that they will be analyzing revenue streams and other budgetary areas this year, and that considerations for 2024 include the fact that the city will be undergoing collective bargaining with its five unions, and capital improvement needs.
In other business, council:
• Introduced, gave three readings to, and passed a resolution adopting the city’s Safe Routes to School Travel Plan. According to the legislative package document prepared for council, the plan was developed with guidance from a 15-member committee comprised of city and school officials representing all Bowling Green public and nonpublic/parochial schools.
Ohio’s Safe Routes to School Program aims to assist communities in developing and implementing projects and programs that encourage and enable children in grades K-12, including those with disabilities, to walk or bike to school safely.
The recommended infrastructure and non-infrastructure countermeasures were reviewed during the community input meeting, and opportunities for comment and feedback were provided.
Public Works Director Mick Murray discussed the plan, noting two focused projects, which are a shared-use path from Crim Elementary to Carter Park, and two hybrid crossing beacons – one at Wooster near Enterprise, and one at Poe Road near the high school and middle school.
“This resolution is a necessary step to help us pursue funding for these countermeasures,” Murray said.
The resolution passed 6-1, with Councilman Jeff Dennis voting against. Dennis noted that he is “a huge supporter of this initiative” but that he had only received information about the particulars of the plan to be voted on at 4 p.m. that day.
• Introduced legislation to combine two projects at the Water Pollution Control Facility regarding clarifier improvements and replacements. The projects are estimated at $13.1 million.
• Introduced, gave three readings to, and passed legislation to annex a parcel of city-owned land located at the intersection of North Main Street and Bishop Road, across the street from land previously annexed by the city for the Abbott Labs project. According to the legislative package document, an electric substation is located on the property and “it is recommended, for consistency, that the city seek annexation of its land at N. Main/Bishop. Approval of this ordinance does not authorize the annexation – it gives authority to start the annexation petition process. … Note that, after the Wood County Board of Commissioners considers (the) petition, it will be returned to council and follow the standard annexation process.”
• Heard from Wendy Manning of Citizens for BG Dog Parks, who updated council that the organization is now an incorporated legal entity, and that she had been elected as president of its board.
