Next year’s Great Bend Recreation Commission budget anticipates spending down more unencumbered cash for capital outlay expenses, GBRC Executive Director Diann Henderson said Monday.
The GBRC Board held a budget hearing during its regular meeting. The 2012-13 budget authorizes a tax levy of 5 mills for the general fund and 1 mill for the employee benefit/insurance fund, on property in Great Bend Unified School District 428. The mill levy does not change from year to year.
In Fiscal Year 2011-12, general fund revenue available was $1,681,936, which included $811,347 estimated tax revenue, $195,189 generated revenue, $6,076 “other” revenue and $660,324 unencumbered cash. Expenditures were $824,135, leaving $857,801 unencumbered cash on June 30. Tax revenue for the employee budget fund was estimated at $162,286.
For Fiscal Year 2012-13, available general fund revenue is estimated at $1,875,660, which includes estimated tax revenue of $857,858 — a number that may be lower due to protested valuations. Expenditures are authorized up to $1.27 million, leaving $601,485 unencumbered cash on June 30, 2013. Tax revenue for the employee budget fund is estimated at $169,235.
While the budget sets the maximum that a taxing entity may spend, the actual amount spent is typically less. Henderson said next year’s budget does include an increase in capital outlay expenditures from $52,509 to $426,172, which could allow the commission to pay off the lease-purchase on the Great Bend Activity Center and to purchase computer hardware and software upgrades. Board action would still be required to move forward with these items.
In other business Monday, the board voted to renew the appointment of GBRC Office Clerk Vandy Simpson as the board treasurer for another year.
The board also approved a change in the cafeteria plan adopted as an employee benefit in the 1980s. It has always operated on a calendar year, but after Dec. 30 will be operate from July 1 through June 30, following the GBRC fiscal year. This realignment reduces paperwork for the commission and for staff, Henderson said.
Co-ed softball rules were on the agenda as an information item. Program Director Chris Umphres said the rules are unchanged this year.
In her monthly activity report, Henderson said the month of June saw 3,512 enrollments. There were 28,183 participants, of which 14,483 were spectators, and GBRC offered 1,512.25 hours of supervised activities.