City of Morris implements new budget

MORRIS – The city of Morris has implemented its new budget for the fiscal year that started May 1, with a plan that allowed officials to hire additional employees and lower taxes, among other things.

The current fiscal year budget, which runs from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023, started with $4.3 million in the general fund rather than the $373,000 city officials originally projected as the starting point.

The city is in the early stages of the Parks Comprehensive Plan, the city’s plan for rejuvenating the parks in the area and potentially boost tourism. The budget has up to $400,000 set aside for potential 50/50 matching grants.

“I think parks are a huge part of the welfare and heath of the community. It is very important to update these parks, they’ve needed it for a long time,” City Clerk Lori Werden said.

The program provides “contributions to entities hosting charitable, cultural, and educational activities that make Morris an attractive destination for non-residents while nurturing a sense of heritage and community,” according to the City of Morris website. The revenue is comprised of revenue from guests staying at local hotels.

“We are going to be giving back a lot to the community through both programs and one of those ways is having these events at the parks,” Werden said. “The more destination reasons that we give for people to come here will boost our tourism, which will boost the Hotel and Motel fund.”

To see the complete overview of the city’s budget visit https://morrisil.org/, select government and annual financial reports.