The 2019 budget features a proposal to hire seven new police officers, allocate $69 million towards a new library while also put money towards improving the Boise Airport and water renewal projects.
The city council will take their first look at the proposed $752.8 million dollar budget that has been divided into several different categories, tax expenditures, enterprise funds and other funds, The tax expenditures get divided between the general fund and the capital fund.
The general fund increased by $18.3 million dollars in 2019 to $236 million dollars and two-thirds of that money comes from property taxes, homeowners can expect their property taxes to increase.
Mike Journee of the city of Boise said that five million dollars of the increase comes from a levy approved by the voters back in 2014 however, homeowners can expect a three percent increase, the largest increase allowed by the state of Idaho.
The general fund pays for salaries and services that the city provides, more than half of those funds go towards the police and fire department, the city is looking to hire seven new officers.
The general fund will also focus on maintenance and taking care of the amenities they have provided over the past few years, there is three million set aside for the development of the controversial Boise Sports Park.
The capital fund is $96 million and a majority of those funds will go towards building a new library downtown, the budget has allocated $69 for that project.
The enterprise fund does not come from the tax payers, but the city has proposed spending almost $206 million and almost half of that will go towards improvements at the airport.
Water renewal $67 million and solid waste $37 also have large chunks allocated in the enterprise fund.
The city has other funds set aside that total $213 million and that includes items like contingent appropriation, economic development, fleet services, housing, health insurance and risk management.
The Boise City Council will meet at noon on Tuesday, the public will have two opportunities in July to voice their opinions on the budget.
