Emporia city commissioners have finalized the 2025 budget.
During the action session Wednesday, commissioners approved a budget with $67 million in expenditures and a half-mill increase to address a projected shortfall several years down the road. City Manager Trey Cocking anticipates an $8 million imbalance by 2029, almost exclusively due to projected personnel-related cost increases.
Cocking says the city can take action now to blunt that impact, and commissioners moved forward with the budget as presented Wednesday.
Separate but related City Commission votes included approvals to exceed the revenue-neutral rate and appropriation amounts.
In the study meeting that followed, commissioners began exploring the prospect of a Public Building Commission as a way to possibly issue bonds for two major projects — the proposed $15 million fire station downtown and the $45 million public recreation facility.
Much like Lyon County commissioners did when they helped Newman Regional Health through bonds 15 years ago, the city would have to create its own PBC. If created, the PBC would have the authority to issue revenue bonds. The city would then enter into a lease with the PBC, accepting a binding obligation — including full faith and credit — for bond payments to the PBC and then to the PBC’s investors. PBCs can offer the same interest rates as General Obligation bonds, but PBC bonds don’t push the city higher towards its GO bond cap.
The most intense discussion Wednesday came as Commissioner Jamie Sauder floated an idea for the Public Works Department to start changing out the city’s longstanding gray-and-black Polycarts for black-and-gold trash containers, reflecting Emporia State University’s presence in the community. The idea to buy over 750 replacement Polycarts with the new color scheme passed, but not before sharp opposition from Susan Brinkman, who believes any changes in Polycart colors should reflect other possible education partners like USD 253 Emporia or Flint Hills Technical College and the city could charge an additional fee for the specialty carts. The purchase of this round of replacement carts will not result in a cost increase to residents.
