ROCHELLE — With the current fiscal year coming to a close in a little more than six weeks, Rochelle City Council met as a committee of the whole to discuss the proposed 2018 budget.
A point of contention has been finding ways to reduce the transference of solid waste funds to the general fund to balance the budget, which has been one of the top priorities for new city manager Jeff Fiegenschuh.
As requested Fiegenschuh, in his presentation to council on Wednesday, outlined the decreasing reliance from 2015 at just over $500,000 to this year’s projected amount of less than $200,000 to 2018 budgeted at about $9,000.
The general fund is the operating fund for many city departments including police, fire, city clerk, community development, streets/cemetery, engineering, economic development and administration. Of which, taxes are its primary source of revenue.

In comparison from the 2017 budget, revenues and expenditures for the 2018 budget are down about 9 percent.
Expenditures are down across the board for the new budget compared to last year, with the biggest drop in the Mayor and Council category from $60,500 in 2017 to a little over $40,000.
Fiegenschuh discussed the organizational S.W.O.T. analysis, which are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Several strengths noted include strong support staff, knowledgeable and dedicated department heads, diverse workforce, political stability, increasing EAV, and fiscally sound government, while the continued lagging local sales tax revenues and the non-home rule were the weaknesses.
Fiegenschuh noted several opportunities including new perspectives from both city manager and council members, relationships with other government agencies, and a continued expanding presence in the regional area. The state fiscal issue topped the threats category, followed by lagging sales tax revenues.
Several capital improvement projects were discussed including the South Main Street improvements, a new bridge over the Kyte River on Seventh Avenue, the Dement Road overpass, sidewalk improvements, and street and alley improvements.
City council is expected to vote on the proposed tax levy ordinance. The levy rate figuring in the estimated EAV of $238 million is $1.04, slightly less than last year.
The fiscal year ends Dec. 31.