Batavia Council approves city budget, tax levy

The Batavia City Council approved a $148 million budget for 2023 at its Dec. 5 meeting.

“The total expenditures are $148,478,112,” Batavia Finance Director Peggy Colby said. “We added $200,000 to the revenue amount for a total of $135,708,702.”

The city’s budget will have a deficit of almost $13 million.

“We will be using reserves to make up that deficit,” City Administrator Laura Newman said after the meeting. “We feel that our reserves are much higher than what our policy requires, and so we think it’s prudent to utilize the reserves in order to bridge that gap.”

Alderman Alan Wolff said the recently added $200,000 will be going to city infrastructure projects.

The city’s general fund, which accounts for day-to-day operations, included $33.2 million in revenue and $33.7 in expenditures, according to documents. General fund reserves were just more than $16 million.

In addition to the budget, the council approved the 2023 tax levy at the meeting.

“Our levy amount is $8.7 million and our rate is expected to be $0.738, which is what we had for this year, so no increases to the rate. Batavia continues to remain on the low end [of taxes],” Colby said.

According to documents, fire and police services and pensions had the largest impact on the levy with a total of $1.2 million and $2.8 million levied, respectively.

The council also voted to purchase a 1997 100-foot Seagrave Aerial Ladder Truck from the St. Charles Fire Department.

The truck will cost $55,000, according to documents.

Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke said the purchase will allow the city to maintain its ISO Class 1 rating.

“There’s only a limited number of fire departments in the state that have an ISO Class 1,” Schielke said.

Schielke said part of the deal will allow St. Charles to access the reserve vehicle in an emergency.

“We can have a ladder truck on each side of town, which can certainly help strengthen our ISO Class,” he said.