With little fanfare and no discussion, the Aurora City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a record $129 million budget for 1995.
Although the budget is up $20 million from 1994, property taxpayers won’t feel much pain. The council in December increased the tax levy by 4.7 percent, most or all of which will be paid by owners of newly constructed property.
In addition to the $1.3 million increase in property taxes, the city budget relies on $7.2 million in leftover 1994 revenues, a recent $7.5 million bond issue, a projected $1.2 million increase in sales taxes and expected increases in income, gambling, real estate transfer and utility taxes.
Much of the extra revenue will go to pay for a $3.7 million increase in the general fund, which will pay for 50 new employees.
In addition, Mayor David Pierce, whose initial budget proposal was simply fine-tuned by the Finance Committee, outlined a $14 million increase, to $36.9 million, in the capital projects fund.
That money will be used to pay for a new $5 million police radio system, road and bridge work, totaling $15 million, $6 million in water and sewer projects, $3.4 million in building projects and land acquisitions, $2.8 million on sidewalks, lights and trees, as well as several smaller allocations to neighborhood organizations and other expenses.
In addition to the city budget, the City Council also approved a $3.4 million city library budget, a $166,000 increase over 1994.
