City Council Meets to Adopt Budget

The Portsmouth City Council holds a special meeting Monday, June 9, for the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2015 budget.

If adopted with City Manager John Bohenko's latest revisions, per councilor consensus, the budget would result in an increase of $66.48 to the median single-family home valued at $316,600.

The estimated tax rate would be $18.12, an increase of 21 cents, or 1.17 percent, from the current fiscal year, according to city budget documents.

The total gross budget is $96,641,762, a 3.82 percent increased when considering all funds. The proposed operating budget – that which funds day-to-day government services – is $75,737,440, which reflects a 3.24 percent increase.

Bohenko unveiled the proposed budget May 2, and Mayor Robert Lister and city councilors have continued working on the fiscal plan ever since, including hearing from some residents at public hearings that the city must be more frugal for taxpayers struggling to make ends meet.

Some highlights of the budget proposed include:

• Property tax levy for FY 2015: $74,266,738
• Portsmouth will see about $1.5 million in increased revenue since the city eliminated the "first hour free' and increased the hourly rate in the parking garage.
• There is a net personnel increase of 3.11 full-time equivalent employees, but Portsmouth is still below 2009 staffing levels by 33 positions.