RALSTON — Ralston may raise taxes and cut staff as officials grapple with paying down the city's arena debt and other costs.
Ralston officials drafted a budget that would increase property taxes by 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, eliminate two vacant full-time positions, reduce police overtime and decrease the hours of part-time library staff.
The proposal would cut a police officer position and a Parks Department position. Other cuts include $10,000 worth of library materials and $11,000 in computer maintenance.
The City Council will consider approving the draft Sept. 18.
Ralston is still dealing with costs from its $41 million arena, which has been operating at a deficit since opening in 2012, said City Administrator Dave Forrest.
The city needs to pay about $4 million in debt service on the arena for the 2018-19 fiscal year, but Ralston is only projected to generate about $4.8 million in general fund revenues.
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"Certainly, it's undeniable that the amount of resources that go to the arena limit our room to maneuver," Forrest said. "But on the other hand, regardless of the arena, we've got increased expenses in the general fund," such as employee salaries and health insurance costs, he said.
Council President Jerry Krause said city officials aimed to be realistic in budgeting this year.
"So that at the end of the year, we don't have to come up with a reason for why we didn't bring in all the revenue we thought we'd bring in," Krause said.
The city last increased property taxes in 2015, when it raised taxes by 4.3 percent, implemented a restaurant tax and cut department budgets by 7 percent.