By Diane M. Moore
[cqmedia layout=”panel” content=”eyJwaG90byI6W3sibWVkaWFfdHlwZSI6InBob3RvIiwicGhvdG9faWQiOiI1MzEwIiwicGhvdG9fY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsInBob3RvX2NyZWRpdCI6IiJ9XSwidmlkZW8iOltdLCJmaWxlIjpbXX0=”]VERNON? The City of Vernon approved its final budget for fiscal year 2021-2022 when they met in regular session Monday, September 20.
The budget is set at$2,256,192.16 with the millage sat at 4.9442, an increase from last year’s 4.8282. The increase totals $6,702 bringing in $99,581 in Ad Valorem taxes to the general fund.
The largest revenue stream for the city comes from Sales and Use taxes totaling $180,950 and the largest one-time revenue source comes from a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $650,000.
The largest expenditure the city will have is their administrative and financial costs totaling $210,790.27.
In order to balance the budget without raising water bills to residents, a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding was utilized coinciding areas, according to Mayor Candace Hodges.
“We needed to be able to balance the budget and the council was completely against raising rates in order to do so,” said Hodges. “We used ARPA funds in appropriate areas to cover that gap, so we didn’t have to raise rates.”
Hodges says that the next fiscal year will see the council figuring out how to balance the budget without those funds.
“The ARPA funds are non-recurring,” said Hodges. “So, when it is time for next year’s budget, we will have to do some figuring because those funds will not be there to help close the gap.”
The Vernon City Council will meet again in workshop at 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 4.
Staff Report 
Hannah Collins