Kalispell aims to boost cash reserves

Kalispell’s cash reserves should get a slight boost in the next fiscal year.

City Finance Director Amy Robertson presented preliminary budget figures to the city council during a special session recently.

The projected numbers reveal that Kalispell will add some $26,817 in cash reserves. This represents $864,811 for fiscal year 2012, up from $837,994 in the current fiscal year.

That’s still short of the 15 percent of the general fund budget that City Manager Jane Howington would like.

With the proposed budget, the city is basically holding the line, but that is a big improvement over 2009 when cash reserves were less than $250,000.

“It’s just the status quo,” Robertson said. “There are no big projects. It’s a pretty minimal budget.”

She added that no layoffs are planned.

General fund spending is proposed at $9,220,470, while revenue is penciled in at $9,247,287. This accounts for the cash reserve difference of $26,817.

Overall spending is slated to be $41.97 million. That’s less than the current budget of $42.21 million.

There are 180.8 full-time equivalent employees in the preliminary budget. 

The city council will host another budget workshop at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 13.