- April 16, 2024
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Windermere Town Council members recently finalized the town’s budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21 during their Sept. 21 budget workshop. The adopted budget sits at $6,681,486.29. General Fund operating expenditures — which total $6,327,630 — include legislative, administrative, clerical, financial, development services, public works, parks and recreation, police department, code enforcement and committees. Stormwater fund expenditures total $353,858. That includes stormwater projects, professional services and capital equipment.
The operating budget for FY 2020-21 is 10.1% greater than last year’s total operating expenditures. In the legislative department, the total budgeted expenditures increased from $180,874 in 2019-20 to $224,374 this year — a difference of $43,500.
Although funding has shifted slightly in some categories, the biggest change in this year’s legislative budget is a $50,000 increase in allocations to the Windermere wine-and-dine event. However, the town has allocated more money to this event for a couple of years now, having budgeted $100,000 for the event in 2018-19, $150,000 in 2019-20 and $200,000 for FY 2020-21.
Perhaps the largest budget difference overall, though, stems from the public works department. This year’s budget of $2,073,972 is a $118,478 — or 6% — increase from last year’s budgeted $1,955,494. Additionally, it’s a 24% increase from FY 2018-19’s budgeted $1,667,300. Much of this is due to the $192,500 budgeted for the public works department’s new facilities, which are under construction along with other town facilities. Additionally, the town will spend $94,056 on the temporary town facilities, which are in place at 501 Forest St. Funds have been shifted amongst categories within the public works department to accommodate these expenses.
One of the biggest impacts to the town of Windermere’s budget this year comes in the form of the new town facilities, which will be constructed following demolition of the old ones. The town’s new police department and administration building will cost more than $5 million, which the town will pay off over the next 20 years in lieu of doing a 30-year loan.
Demolition of the existing town administration, police and public works facilities began Oct. 12. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed things down a bit — both with the demolition and construction processes — but the new municipal complex should be complete 10 to 12 months following the start of construction.
Another factor playing into the budget increase is an additional $45,501, or 2%, for the police department’s expenses. This year’s total budget for the police department is $2,217,291. That includes about a $13,000 increase in salary allotments, as well as a $13,000 increase in computer maintenance fees. Also factored in is a nearly $19,000 increase in the fire service assessment fee, which sits at $643,750 this year. In 2019-20, the fee was $625,000, and in 2018-19, it was $600,000.
