LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Boulder City Council members approved its 2021 fiscal budget after making major revisions to reflect an anticipated drop of $9.1 million in projected revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a Boulder City news release, city staff anticipates that C-Tax collections, property taxes, fines and forfeitures may drop as low as 40-percent from the pre-COVID-19 revenues. In a move to offset the losses in the 2021 budget, $6.5 million from the General Fund Balance is being used to balance the new budget.
The city said it started cutting the 2020 budget in March in order to boost the fund balance going into 2021.
“Since March, staff has frozen filling of all vacant positions as they occur, decreased most discretionary spending, and frozen all nonessential training and travel. Vacant positions will remain frozen until FY22. I am proud of the tough work put in by this staff to make us lean while continuing to provide excellent customer service,” said City Manager Al Noyola.
The finance staff expects rents and royalties forecast should remain stable, as the city’s solar leases tend to be recession-resistant and should remain steady.
“We are fortunate to be less dependent on the tourism industry that is suffering so much, and to have the stability of the investments in solar energy production. We will get through this together, Boulder City,” said Mayor Kiernan McManus.
