Kettering enters new year with ‘pretty lean budget’ focusing on basic services

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

The 2024 budget, which includes raises for all non-union employees, has a $77.4 million general fund and directs department heads “to keep operating expenditures to not more than a 0% increase over” last year, records show.

It also aims to reinvest in roads, sidewalks and other infrastructure while providing other basic services, Greeson said.

“This particular year, when we’re coming off some significant cultural arts and parks investments,” he said, “we have a number of projects that we need to get done in the community that tied to our core infrastructure and we’re focused on that in the upcoming year.”

The city’s $13.5 million budget for capital improvements this year is more than $1 million smaller than the one approved for 2023, Kettering records show. The most expensive single budgeted area is for sidewalk, curb and driveway approach repairs, estimated to cost $1.68 million.

It also calls for about $7.3 million in street resurfacing, including East David Road from Far Hills Avenue to Ackerman Boulevard, an estimated $1.23 million project.

The plan approved by city council last month “represents a fiscally responsible budget where we’re living within our means and operating costs don’t exceed available revenues,” Greeson said.

It “maintains a high level of services residents have come to expect while also investing in the continued maintenance of the capital infrastructure,” he added.

The city’s overall staffing is expected to remain about the same with slight changes in the number of full-time and part-time jobs, Greeson said.

Police and fire personnel reflect that with 123 and 84 positions, respectively, according to the budget.

All non-union workers will get 2.25% raises, human resources Director Jenny Smith said. Firefighters and department captains will see 2.5% negotiated increases while pay hikes for other unions will be decided this year, the budget states.

Other notables about the spending plan, documents show, include:

• The police and fire departments’ budgets are $17.84 million and $17.63 million, respectively.

• Public safety accounts for 50.4% of the 2024 expenditures while parks, recreation and cultural arts consumes 21.1%.

• The Fraze Pavilion has operating costs projected at $6 million, although those costs have not exceeded $5 million in either of the past two years.

• Salaries consume 51% of operating costs and fringe benefits 18.7%.

• Projected income tax revenue is 57% of the overall budget.