Omaha’s 2014 budget is in the works, with the City Council scheduled to receive it July 23rd.
Mayor Jean Stothert originally projected a $20 million shortfall in the coming budget year. City Council president Pete Festersen says the 2014 budget year is expected to be “challenging,” even with Council action earlier this week.
"The City Council agreed to transfer nine million dollars in 2014 just this week, at the Mayor’s request, that we otherwise felt should’ve been going to cash reserve to shore up those funds. But at their request, we agreed to do that in hopes that we can maintain basic city services, keep libraries from closing, increasing police on our streets, and things that are high priority to all of us."
Festersen says his constituents have told him they want a strong level of basic city services, and no tax increase.
Mayor Stothert’s spokeswoman, Carrie Murphy, says the Council’s action took the projected shortfall down to $11 million. She says if budget requests come in at Mayor Stothert’s recommended levels, the shortfall will decline even more, to $2 million.