Friday, February 15, 2013
Expenditures continue to grow and if the district does nothing, they could face a $10 million deficit by 2016, officials say.
Birmingham Public Schools continues to "tread water" when it comes to paying the bills, but a look ahead at the school district's budget isn't promising, district officials say. According to a mid-year budget report from Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Debbie Piesz, the Birmingham Public Schools has a budget deficit of $2.5 million heading into the second half of the school year. That's almost half a million dollars less than the district thought it would be last summer. The projected deficit for the 2012-13 school year was $2.9 million, Piesz said. What made the difference? After the district opened up its alternative high school to the Michigan Schools of Choice program, Birmingham received a $434,995 reward for meeting …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The city also will need to find more revenue for its local and major street funds, according to the five-year financial forecast presented Saturday during Birmingham's long-range planning session.
In the next five years, Birmingham has a lot of projects in the pipeline. But if the city wants to pay for them, they're going to have to watch their wallet. That was the message from the accounting firm Plante Moran, which presented its five-year financial forecast for the city of Birmingham Saturday. Overall, Birmingham's finances aren't in bad shape though the city will have to address a shrinking fund balance, increases in water and sewer rates, as well as a projected deficit in the funds used to pay for road construction projects. "The financial forecast that has been presented this year is dramatically improved from what has been shown in past years," the report reads. "The city's willingness to conservatively forecast, and then to …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Baldwin Public Library's 2012-13 budget will be one to consider as a joint city committee continues to study potential renovations plans for the library building.
After years of budget woes, Baldwin Public Library is back on its feet again — and library administrators already are looking ahead. In a presentation to the Birmingham City Commission April 21, Library Director Doug Koschik outlined a budget for 2012-13 that balances the budget just as the library returns to full service hours and requests a smaller millage from the city. Meanwhile, a joint committee made up of library board members and city commissioners continue to discuss the renovation possibilities for the aging library building at 300 W. Merrill St. According to Koschik, the outlook for 2012-13 is bright, especially as the library expects to balance its budget for a second year in a row. During the next fiscal year, Baldwin expects …
42.545149
-83.217138
Baldwin Public Library
300 W Merrill St, Birmingham, MI
/articles/library-presents-balanced-budget-struggles-with-smaller-staff
711566
/locations/6912349
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The tentative plan, as presented to city commissioners Saturday, is highlighted by growing revenues that still fall behind expected spending.
It's budget season in Birmingham, and city commissioners are considering a $64 million budget for 2012-13, which includes rising property values and a city staff that's growing smaller by the year. "The worst may be over, but we're not out of the woods yet," City Manager Bob Bruner said at the city's budget presentation Saturday at City Hall. At the five-hour Saturday meeting, Bruner and various department heads laid out tentative budgets for the upcoming year before the Birmingham City Commission. With big projects on the horizon, Bruner made sure to note that expenditures continue to exceed revenues for another year. "These last several years of economic and revenue decline have forced communities to ask the question: 'Is there a better …
42.545944
-83.215532
Birmingham City Hall
151 Martin St, Birmingham, MI
/articles/city-considers-smaller-budget-for-2012-13
710964
/locations/6862755
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
District revises its budget mid-year after realizing savings in salaries and benefits as well as energy costs and slight increase in revenues.
The Birmingham Board of Education voted Tuesday night to amend the district's 2011-12 general appropriations budget, reflecting a mid-year adjustment with a better-than-expected financial outlook. In total, as part of the district's amended budget, the general budget deficit was reduced from $6.6 million to $2.1 million. "2011-12 was much better than we anticipated," said Deborah Piesz, assistant superintendent of business services. The biggest budget reductions came from a decrease in salaries and benefits, as well as an 18 percent reduction in utility bills, a figure that can be attributed to the unusually warm winter so far and smart energy management, Piesz said. Projected revenues for the Birmingham Public School district increased by…
42.545085
-83.220226
Birmingham Public Schools — Administrative Offices
550 W Merrill St, Birmingham, MI
/articles/birmingham-schools-deficit-cut-by-4-5-million
1714361
/locations/8607114
Friday, July 1, 2011
New non-resident borrowing policies could affect how you use the facilities.
If you haven’t paid attention to recent decisions made at local libraries that serve Bloomfield area residents, some things have changed. Effective today, residents of Bingham Farms and Beverly Hills will no longer be able to check out materials from the Bloomfield Township Public Library. They are still welcome to use the facility, but borrowing privileges are revoked under a new non-resident borrowing policy enacted by the library board in April. Library Director Karen Kotulis-Carter said the move will prioritize access to Bloomfield Township residents at the library, which has seen roughly $1.2 million evaporate from its budget. Non-township residents who are covered by reciprocal borrowing agreements or who live in a community with The…
42.56675
-83.28147
Bloomfield Township Public Library
1099 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
/articles/changes-start-today-for-users-of-bloomfield-township-baldwin-libraries
1541000
/locations/4756641
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) participated in the bill-signing ceremony.
State Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) was alongside Gov. Rick Snyder as he signed the 2011-12 budget into law Tuesday afternoon. The $47.4 billion budget resolves a $1.5 billion shortfall with various cuts to education and government services. Moss, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has said the cuts were necessary to revitalize Michigan's economy. “Cuts are hard because it affects someone, somewhere,” said Moss. “But we’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a dynamic economy (in Michigan)." The bill came to Snyder after months of negotiations. Snyder had set a May 31 deadline for lawmakers, who did submit the final budget before Memorial Day. This is the first time three decades the budget has been completed this early.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A smaller-than-expected decrease in property values will bring in more money for the city, saving at least one job.
Birmingham city commissioners adopted the 2011-12 city budget Monday night, noting that the city could see an additional $200,000, due to better-than-expected property values. Taxable values fell 5 percent this year, less than the projected 6 percent that was worked into the city’s original budget, reducing the number of mills levied in 2011-12 from 15.6855 to 15.6005. Because of this, Birmingham residents will pay less in taxes next year, yet the city will collect more tax revenue than it had expected. That additional cash will be put toward saving a code enforcement officer position and replenishing the local and major street fund. According to city Treasurer Sharon Ostin, Birmingham homeowners will pay, on average, $2,461.02 in taxes in…
42.545944
-83.215532
Birmingham City Hall
151 Martin St, Birmingham, MI
/articles/city-passes-2011-12-budget-expects-to-bring-in-200k-more-in-revenue
710964
/locations/4413070
ClassAct4
12:34 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Unfortunately, a $2.1 million deficit is still abissmal, and risks appoinment of an Emergency Manager and suspension of the School Board by the State. Pay continues to be the largest line item in the budget. Birmingham teachers agreed to a pay freeze, and to pay 10% of their medical benefits. Neighboring school districts in West Bloomfield, Royal Oak, Hamtramck, Detroit, etc. agreed with their … more ›