Jamestown (CSi) The City of Jamestown has begun the 2015 city budget process.

The City Council met Wednesday morning from 8-a.m. to 11-a.m.

City Administrator Jeff Fuchs says, as of June 30 this year, the city has deficit spent $533,000 steming in large part from one time expenditures.

The 2015 city mill levy is put at 2.87 mills, and will levy in 2015 the same figure as 2014, at 84.97 mills.

The projected revenues for 2015 show a $30,000 deficit.

Revenues for 2015 are projected to be higher based on increased state aid.

He pointed out that the water and sewer utilities will increase by five percent for domestic use, and three percent for Cavendish use.

With the sewer utility, Fuchs says the operating revenue is $3.3million with expenditures of $1.6 million. Revenues are $1.7 million, with $327,000 in the replacement and depreciation fund.

With the lift station replacement and force main replacement projects, the debt service is $2 million per year.

The new operating loss of $619,000 requires a transfer of $664,00 from the city’s share of Special Assessments over a two year period.

Fuchs questioned with the debt service replacement, the ability to fund any upcoming projects.

That budget will be further adjusted in the budgeting process.

With the Sanitation budget a 5 percent rate increase in proposed, with a 2014 deficit at $25,000 and projected to be in the red at the end of 2015 with a five percent rate increase at $100,000.

With the Solid Waste fund at the end of 2014 the deficit is projected at $16,000, with the construction fund project to be in the red at a half million dollars by the end of 2015.

Mayor Andersen said with those funds, the city needs to look at more efficiencies for the utility rates to cover the expenses.

The Mayor said the next set of budget meetings will be next week or the week after, allowing time for officials with JSDC, Tourism, and Engineering to put together presentations.

The budget meetings are being shown live on CSi 67.