(The Center Square) — A six-year breakdown of the Bossier City Public Works budget history showed $11.1 million in actual expenditures for 2025 compared to $7.2 million in 2020.
The breakdown was shared during the Public Works Fee Workshop, showing expenditures, revenue, expenses, operating income and fund balances from 2020 to 2025.
In 2020, actual expenditures for public works totaled $7.2 million, with revenue at $6.4 million. The department reported $6.5 million in expenses, with a loss of $112,468 in operating income. The fund balance was $5.7 million.
When comparing this to 2024, the last full year recorded, expenditures were $9.1 million, revenue was $6.6 million and expenses were $8.6 million. For operating income, the department reported its highest loss over the past six years, totaling $1.9 million, with a fund balance of $3.3 million.
“We’ve been able to absorb those losses over the years because we’ve had some reserve, but those are dwindling. So, we are still expected at the end of this year to have a deficit,” said Chief Administrative Officer Amanda Nottingham.
The department reported numbers for this year, but revenue and expenses are as of June 30, and the fund balance is only a projection. The department based the total budget on the adopted 2025 budget. Actual expenditures for this year are $11.1 million, revenue is $4.2 million, and expenses are $4.3 million, with an operating income loss of $124,282. The projected fund balance is $3 million.
The presentation was given as a means of clarification behind the public works fee residents are paying. According to the report, sanitation fee increases have not been passed by ordinance since 2013. The most recent was passed this week.
The report outlined that instead of a public works fee, the citizens could vote and approve a property millage. Based on the 2025 budget, 5.7 mills is needed to cover the costs of public works services that don’t include sanitation. If Bossier City residents chose to take this route, the millage would generate $5.5 million per year.
While this would eliminate the public works fee, the sanitation fee would remain in place for those receiving curbside trash pickup.
