City of Oshkosh Faces an Estimated $2.8 Million Budget Gap in 2014

Source:  City of Oshkosh 2013 Budget (page 11)

Total budget:  $65,800,000

City projects $2.8m budget gap for 2014   Wages, benefits expected to increase while revenues hold steady.  (Oshkosh Northwestern, 8/20/2013)

Excerpt:     Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff and Finance Director Peggy Steeno told the Oshkosh Common Council during a workshop last week that minute increases in revenue sources such as building permits will not come close to covering rising wage, health insurance, utility and debt service costs. 

“That’s our starting point. It’s a big number,” Rohloff said. “It’s not that it can’t be done, it’s just that we really need to look at all parts of our operation.” 

Wages and health insurance alone account for 73.4 percent, or $2.1 million, of the projected increase. Health insurance premiums make up $1.2 million of the increase, or 43.4 percent. 

Rohloff has asked department heads to cut 5 percent from their budgets this year.

Related posts:
Madison: "Studious readers of city meeting agendas" make shocking discovery.  (8/1/2013)
City of Madison.  (7/9/2013)