Kenyon Budget Hearing has No Comments from the Public

Kenyon City Administrator Mark Vahlsing and the City Council held their 2021 Budget and Tax Levy Hearing tonight at City Hall.  The Council approved the preliminary budget in September.

The 2021 levy is a 2.85% increase from 2020.  $1,011,620 in 2020, $1,040,350 in 2021.

After opening the public hearing Vahlsing stated, "The budget reflects a 1% cost of living increase for full time employees.  Health insurance shows a 4% annual increase.  Which is good, the last couple years we've been lucky there."

Vahlsing commented, "We've tried to keep this budget at a bare bones kind of minimum deal which unfortunately is kind of what we've seen every year."

One of the members of the council pointed out the Kenyon Municipal Liquor Store was approximately $6,000 from being in the black after having on sale shut down twice during the year due to the Governor's COVID-19 orders.

Vahlsing said, "When they re-opened we really did pretty well but unfortunately that mad scramble is kind of done now.  We're back to just off sale.  December is a good month for off sale but I don't know if it's going to make that up or not."

The Kenyon City Administrator pointed out the lack of interest in the budget hearing probably had most to do with peoples' property tax statements saying, " Boy you could tell there wasn't big increases in valuations or decreases cause you know when you see 20 or 30 percent increases like last year and the year before we had a lot more people calling or coming in here.  This year there's been nothing."

He said Kenyon was very blessed, "We're very fortunate when you look at where a lot of our residents work.  Health care, corrections.  They're not laying people off.  You look at our budget.  We're not dependent on sales tax.  Cities that are dependent on sales tax are you know, I mean it's gone up and down but they've been down this year."

Vahlsing was asked by a council member if the city could see more money from the federal government.

He replied, "Yeah there's a chance there will be another stimulus and we may get more money that's correct.  I don't know what the chances are but yeah there is that probability that we will."