Rock Falls council OKs fiscal 2025 budget

ROCK FALLS – Rock Falls City Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s fiscal 2025 budget.

Rock Falls expects $35.870,268 in revenue from all its funds and $35,869,542 in expenses for fiscal 2025, which will leave the city with a surplus of $726, according to budget documents.

The city’s “major and most significant funds” are the general, electric, wastewater and water funds, City Administrator Robbin Blackert wrote in a 17-page budget summary dated April 16.

The general fund is expected to spend $14.427,002 and bring in $14,427,728, budget documents show.

Expenses paid from the general fund include city administration ($1,057,311), building department ($384,451), the city administrator ($153,584), business office ($208,371), code hearing department ($29,500), the Rock Falls Fire Department ($1,984,430), planning and zoning ($3,450), the Rock Falls Police Department ($3,672,785), the police/fire commission ($19,400), public property ($3,264,367), the street department ($3,519,547), and IMRF/Social Security ($129,806).

Of the general fund’s revenue, $3.7 million of it is nonrecurring and comes from grants, Blackert wrote.

“The most notable nonrecurring revenue is $2.2 million that should be received from an Illinois DECO Rebuild Downtown & [Mainstreet] Grant to deal with the condemned Micro Industries building in uptown Rock Falls,” she wrote. “The second is $2 million in grant funds for the rebuilding of Avenue A from East 3rd Street to 10th Street. The grant funds for the Rebuild Downtown & Mainstreet [Grant] were expected in the FY24 budget but did not come to fruition.”

The electric fund is projected to bring in $12,794,828 and have $18,211,957 in expenses, Blackert wrote. There are several capital projects scheduled for the coming fiscal year, with a total cost of $7,910,348, she wrote.

Capital projects include a $2,735,489 system upgrade and $2,820,400 worth of work on the hydro plant and property, according to the budget summary.

The wastewater and water funds are fully self-supported and receive no tax support, Blackert wrote. They operate exclusively on the revenue generated from rates paid by customers.

Wastewater fund revenue is expected to total $1,899,370, and expenses will be $1,896,221, Blackert wrote. Of the $730,000 in capital expenditures for the fund, all but $40,000 will go toward the storm and sanitary portion of the Avenue A rebuild, she wrote.

Expected water fund revenue is $1,464,514, which is an increase of about $45,000 from fiscal 2024, Blackert wrote. Its expenses are expected to match revenue exactly.