By 1808Delaware
Residents of Delaware can gain additional insight into the municipal finances these days thanks to the completion and issuance of the City of Delaware’s Popular Annual Financial Report for 2022.
City Finance Director Rob Alger and his staff have completed the document, which contains a comprehensive look at what makes municipal government “tick” from a financial point of view, with sections on where revenue comes from, how funds are spent, an analysis of the General Fund, debt, and infrastructure.
A bulletpoint overview of the Report can be seen below. It can be read in its entirety here.
Sources of Revenue
- The primary sources of revenue include income tax, property tax, and charges for services.
- The City’s income tax rate is 1.85% which is broken down as follows:
- 1.0% for general operations
- 0.7% for Fire/EMS
- 0.15% for parks and recreation.
- Employer withholding payments account for over 65% of the income tax revenue collected.
- A comparison of the property tax allocation for different cities is as follows:
- Delaware City School District: $3,058.11
- Delaware County: $417.69
- Delaware Area Career Center: $136.57
- City of Delaware: $165.41
- Delaware County District Library: $47.55
- Preservation Parks District: $74.97
- Income tax contributions:
- ’22: Withholding 71.55%, Residential 19.02%, Business 9.44%
- ’21: Withholding 66.38%, Residential 23.97%, Business 9.65%
- ’20: Withholding 69.02%, Residential 24.24%, Business 6.72%
Use of City Funds
- The general government category includes City Council, the City Manager’s Office, Administrative Services, Finance, Planning and Community Development, and Municipal Building and Facility Maintenance.
- Public Safety Expenses are related to the City’s Police and Fire Department.
- The Parks and Natural Resources Department operates and maintains 24 parks, 20 miles of trails, a golf course, a cemetery, and an urban forest.
- Total Expenses By Department/Function (in Thousands):
- ’22: $49,559, Change from Prior Year ($20.2%)
- ’21: $41,213, Change from Prior Year ($25.8%)
- ’20: $55,541, Change from Prior Year 48.6%
General Fund Analysis
- General Fund Revenue by Source — 3 Year Comparison (in thousands):
- ’22: Income taxes $20,410, Property and other local $1,892, Charges for services $1,958, Licenses, permits, and fees $1,883, Intergovernmental $1,320, Total $28,104, Change from Prior Year 16.02%
- ’21: Income taxes $17,111, Property and other local $1,804, Charges for services $1,414, Licenses, permits, and fees $1,736, Intergovernmental $1,580, Total $24,223, Change from Prior Year 12.98%
- ’20: Income taxes $14,960, Property and other local $1,500, Charges for services $1,367, Licenses, permits, and fees $1,577, Intergovernmental $1,464, Total $21,440, Change from Prior Year 1.04%
- General Fund Expense by Function — 3 Year Comparison (in thousands):
- ’22: General government $8,612, Public safety $11,281, Community development $531, Debt services $0, Total $20,424, Change from Prior Year 21.02%
- ’21: General government $6,386, Public safety $10,003, Community development $468, Debt services $19, Total $16,876, Change from Prior Year 3.25%
- ’20: General government $6,541, Public safety $9,505, Community development $289, Debt services $10, Total $16,345, Change from Prior Year 10.64%
City’s Debt
- Principal outstanding as of 12/31/22:
- General Obligation (GO) & Income Tax (IT) Bonds: $37,755,000
- Ohio Water Development Association Loans: $32,892,957
- Past Service Pension Obligation: $183,656
- Total Bonds, Loans, & Pensions Outstanding: $70,831,613
Recent Infrastructure Projects
- Extension of Sawmill Parkway to enhance the economic base.
- Installation of new water line along Pennsylvania Avenue to improve water service and fire safety.
- Deployment of a new weather monitoring station on the William Street bridge for improved storm management.
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
