25LINKBUDGET(FULL) - Flipbook - Page 19
City of Plymouth 2024 / 2025 Budget
of students to private or charter schools may affect the overall quality and test scores for the
district. Having a high-quality school district is vital to maintaining property values in the City.
Another outside influence would be the Plymouth District Library and they will most likely be
looking at some type of millage increase in the next year or so. The library is another vital service
to the community that is not under our control but impacts on our overall quality of life.
Annually, I make a comment to the City Commission in this message on weather. We need to be
aware of the additional expenses that can hit us if multiple polar vortexes and/or significant snow
events or spring wind or even if tornado-like weather strikes our community. This affects us in
many ways, from the cost of snow removal to the additional costs of utilities, tree removal, brush
chipping, removing and stockpiling snow, higher maintenance costs on equipment, the need for
additional supplies, and so on. We also staff the fire station during periods of extreme cold and
other significant weather events as a precautionary measure. We have had few years in a row of
relatively “light” winters, and we are hopeful that we can be in a weather pattern, without
extremes of snow, cold, ice or wind for the next several years, because our budget is built on
“normal” weather patterns.
Streets and maintenance of streets are a statewide issue, and it is no different here in Plymouth.
Our residents have passed a road bond package which shows that streets are a huge factor in the
Quality-of-Life for our residents. In this budget, we will continue to move forward with our
infrastructure plan, but we will need to be aware of the anticipated escalating costs for labor,
supplies and financing for 2024 and beyond.
Our Finance Director John Scanlon, along with our Department Heads and I, will attempt to answer
any questions the Commission may have related to the budget document. We have scheduled
dates, if needed, for multiple Budget Study Sessions, but it is entirely up to the City Commission
to determine how many sessions we will need. We strongly recommend that Commissioners
come in and talk with John Scanlon and/or myself to answer any questions that they may have
related to the document and how we put this together.
As always, the budget should be treated as a fluid document that will change as the year
progresses. There are multitudes of internal and external factors which will affect the budget
during the year. We must be constantly aware of the stresses that weather, government
regulations, emergencies, elections, inflation, changes in procedures or equipment, and changes
in staffing will have on the budget.
The staff is committed to working cooperatively with the City Commission to deliver on their
strategic plan and ensure the quality of life for our citizens. We will continue to deliver public
services, which can be best delivered by local government with modern and cost-effective
methods. We remain committed to the various elements of the City Commission’s strategic plan
as we proceed into the new fiscal year.
We thank the City Commission for their support of the staff during the budget process and we
appreciate the effort the Commission will make in reviewing this document. The administration
is ready to work jointly with the City Commission to bring this budget forward to adoption.
25BINTRO-03-CMBM.DOCX
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