Lavonia City Council, Public Get First Look at Proposed FY24 Budget
The Lavonia City Council and the public got a first look at the 2024 Budget at their regular meeting this week.
Lavonia’s fiscal year runs on the calendar year from January through December.
According to City Manager Charles Cawthon, Lavonia’s proposed fiscal 24 budget totals just over $8.4 million which is up $7.9 million in fiscal 2023.
Of that, $3.5 million will go into the City’s General Fund and just over $3 million will go into the Water/Sewer Fund.
But also on the planning agenda for 2024 are a number of big Capital Improvement projects, most of which will be funded by outside sources but some which are expected to be partially funded by either the General Fund or the Water Fund or both.
Cawthon said several of the bigger projects include the Downtown Streetscape project, Parks Expansions and Rehab, and the I-85 Gateway Project.
The total cost for all five capital improvement projects under the General Fund comes to over $4 million. Cawthon said outside funding sources will have to be sought to help pay for several of the projects.
Under the Water/Sewer Fund Capital Improvement project list, the largest projects include finishing the Gateway Industrial Park/Lavonia Sewer Improvements at a total cost of $6.3 million, New Water Storage Allocation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at a cost of $1 million and the overhaul of the current Lavonia Water Plant at a cost of $5-million.
Again, the City will seek outside funding sources to help pay for those projects.
After hearing from Cawthon the City Council voted to approve the first reading of the proposed FY2024 budget.
By law, the Council must pass the new fiscal budget by December 31.