Shortage looms in Whitefish budget

With just one quarter of its fiscal year left, the Whitefish city budget is on track with projections, but could be $142,000 short by the end of June.

Collections from court fines, building permits and the city’s planning contract with Columbia Falls have fallen short of budget projections, while prosecution expenditures have been higher than expected, according to a staff report prepared by Finance Director Rich Knapp for the City Council.

“All general fund revenues are close to budget, with the exception of fines,” Knapp said.

Fines are tracking at only 54 percent of budget projections. Dog fines are less because the city no longer has an in-house animal control officer. Parking fines are up $3,000 over last years but aren’t a significant contributor to overall fine collections. Court fines are the significant resources in the fines category and are down about $45,000 from the same time period last year.

Knapp said the shortfall in court fines could total $65,000 by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

While the building codes’ net loss is less than the previous two years — mostly because of earlier layoffs in the building and planning department — the city still may be $32,000 short in building revenues.

The continued slow pace of growth has translated into a shortfall from expected revenue from the city of Columbia Falls, which contracts with Whitefish for planning services. Knapp projects a $28,000 shortfall from Columbia Falls.

He anticipates prosecution expenditures will be $17,000 over budget.

The overall projected shortfall assumes the city will spend 100 percent of its budget, which historically it does not, Knapp said.

“We will probably be able to make up for some of these projected budget issues elsewhere,” he said in his report. “Also, the $130,000 in protested property tax is an unknown variable that would also affect tax-supported funds’ cash.”