Pittsburg City Commission approves FY 2022 submitted budget

PITTSBURG, KS – The Pittsburg City Commission approved the City Manager’s submitted budget for 2022 during the Pittsburg City Commission meeting held Tuesday, July 27. The commission will take public comment on the city budget during a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 24.

The 2022 budget demonstrates the city’s dedication to managing its finances responsibly, improving city facilities and services, and organically growing revenues while keeping the tax burden low. The budget was prepared with a focus on the Imagine Pittsburg strategic plan, and with the goal of maintaining adequate reserves and effectively managing debt. Some of the key elements are listed below.

• No Mill Levy Increase – The city’s property tax is an ad valorem tax, meaning it is based on the value of real estate or personal property owned. The city’s 2021 assessed valuation increased by 0.18 percent over the previous year. The city does not control assessed valuation but it does control the mill levy, which is a rate applied to the assessed value of property inside the Pittsburg city limits. The city’s mill levy has not seen an increase since 2017. The 2022 budget does not recommend a mill levy rate increase.

• Utility Rate Increase of 3 percent – The budget for 2022 calls for an increase of 3 percent for water and wastewater fees, which equates to less than two dollars on the average water utility bill. When compared to 15 neighboring cities, Pittsburg’s utility rates for both water and sewer are at or below the midrange of rates charged by other utilities. This 3 percent adjustment addresses annual cost increases the utility faces and will help the city set aside funding for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. The new plant will replace the existing 50-year-old facility. A new wastewater plant is necessary for the city to meet EPA and KDHE requirements, and to meet the needs of our growing community.

• No Sales Tax Increase – The 2022 budget does not recommend a sales tax rate increase. Sales tax collections from 2020 show that Pittsburg weathered the COVID-19 pandemic well compared to other communities. Sales tax revenues rose 3.14 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. More growth is expected in the coming year. The city forecasts a two percent increase in sales tax revenues for 2022.

• No Employee Count Change – The number of positions in the 2022 budget remains the same as last year.

The commission will formally adopt the budget following a public hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, August 24, at 5:30 pm, at the Beard-Shanks Law Enforcement Center, 201 N. Pine St., Pittsburg. Citizens can provide input and ask questions at this time.

This summary is a high-level overview of the budget document. The entire 2022 Submitted Budget is available to download on the city’s website: www.pittks.org.

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The mission of the City of Pittsburg is to provide exceptional services, facilities and activities with integrity, professionalism, excellent customer service and a commitment to economic vitality.