CENTRAL CITY - The Central City Council received a clean bill of financial health during its regular meeting on June 17. They also advanced a proposal to move Council meetings one hour earlier.

Mayor Jeremy Fey, Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Spencer, Marcia Enloe, and Zane Plsek were present. Alderman Todd Williams was absent.

Financial statements

The evening’s major presentation came from auditor Uli Keeley of Prospective Business Solutions, who reported that the City received an unmodified, or clean, opinion on its 2024 financial statements.

Abigail Robbins, the City’s finance director, opened the audit discussion by thanking her staff for their preparation.

Keeley said that while most funds showed stable or improved positions, two funds, the Urban Renewal Authority Fund and the Central City Parkway Maintenance Fund, ended the year in deficit. She noted that these outcomes were expected as a result of early expenditures outpacing revenue, with recovery anticipated in 2025.

The general fund closed the year with a positive balance of $3.6 million, and the City posted a $425,000 increase in its general fund due to higher-than-expected revenues and lower-than-budgeted expenditures.

Other notable fund balances included $1.6 million in the Historic Preservation Fund and approximately $2.6 million in the Public Property Trust Fund. The Belvidere Foundation Fund dipped significantly due to project-related spending. It ended with $4,700.

The City’s water fund, categorized under business-type activities, recorded a net position of $10.5 million and saw a $677,000 increase in 2024. This change was largely driven by $570,000 in capital contributions and tap fees.

Keeley encouraged council members to continue focusing on each fund's overall financial health, not just on staying within budget.

“Don’t just look at, ‘Are we within budget?’ Look at it as a whole,” she said. “Are you in a deficit? If so, what can we do late in the year and not after the year has closed to alleviate that?”

Meeting time

Following the audit presentation, Council unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 25-03. The ordinance amends the City code and Council rules to change the start time of regular meetings from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. If approved following a second reading and public hearing, the change will begin in July.

City Clerk Reba Bechtel clarified that the public hearing for the ordinance was originally published with a 7 p.m. time, but staff expected to correct the publication to reflect the new 6 p.m. schedule in time for the July 1 meeting.

Council members briefly discussed how the time shift might affect future work sessions, agreeing to remain flexible and mindful of public interest when scheduling items before regular meetings.

Public forum/staff updates

The meeting opened with a public forum, though no one chose to speak on agenda items. A second public comment period at the end of the meeting also passed without participation.

In staff updates, City Manager Daniel Miera noted the success of a recent event, the Shoofly dedication, hosted by the Belvidere Foundation in partnership with the City.

Council comments were light. “Just a great event downstairs,” said one council member. “It’s great to see that much attendance.”

The meeting was adjourned at 6:23 p.m. The next Council meeting is scheduled for July 1 and will be held at City Hall, 141 Nevada Street.