KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- We highlighted a few of the features of the proposed 2014 Unified Government budget here.
Here are additional points of the proposed budget:
- The Piper Community Center will open in August 2013, but programming will begin in January of 2014.
- As a short-term revenue solution, the UG will transfer $3 million from the Water Pollution Control fund to the City General Fund. The transfer is being classified as a "short-term" loan. Along with this and increasing the PILOT rate from 10.9 percent to 11.9 percent, an additional $6 million will be available in the general fund for the budget.
- NBR funding will be restored to level of $27,500 and NBR oversight will be relocated to the Neighborhood Resource Center.
- Unified Government employees will receive a two-percent pay increase effective July 1, 2014. However, there will be an increased employer contribution for health insurance under the proposed budget.
- If offered grants by the Department of Justice, the UG will refuse them if they require a fund-matching obligation.
- There will be a $400,000 increase in the budget for street resurfacing.
- The UG will organize its Land Bank under Economic Development. The purpose of the reorganization will be to market vacant land and abandoned properties more aggressively to potential economic development partners.
- The UG will continue to waiver residential housing fees into 2014.
