2023 City of Fruita Budget

During the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, the Fruita City Council formally adopted the 2023 Municipal Budget. The budget includes $27.3 million in projected revenues (excluding transfers from other funds and other financing sources), and $30 million in proposed expenditures between all funds.

In 2022, the Fruita City Council adopted the City’s Strategic Plan, which identifies specific goals and projects to improve the quality of life and place for Fruita residents for the next several years. The 2023 Municipal Budget supports these goals and priorities, while also providing high-level core services in Fruita. Highlights from the budget include creating the Fruita Building Inspection Program, several capital projects focused on the quality of streets and maintaining traffic flow and limiting congestion, Parks and Recreation projects that improve community wellness, continued implementation of the City’s market-based pay plan for employees, public safety, and maintaining City infrastructures through key sewer projects. The full list of highlighted priorities can be found in the 2023 Transmittal Letter at the beginning of the budget document.

Specific projects to highlight from the 2023 Budget include:

• Significant improvements to South Mesa Street (between Circle Park and Highway 6&50) to focus on traffic calming, multi-modal transportation, and pedestrian safety. This project cost is offset by a $1.7 million grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation.
• Renovations to Reed Park which include a new playground, a new shelter, a mini-pitch, electrical upgrades, and irrigation upgrades.
• Installation of the Middle-Mile Broadband project to help bring Giga bite internet speeds to Fruita residents.
• Adding an additional Police Officer to focus on proactive engagement and community policing.
• Construction of a permanent North Mulberry Outdoor Plaza.
• Building a new slide for the indoor pool at the Fruita Community Center.
• Installation of a Dog Park on the south side of Fruita, located next to the Dinosaur Journey Museum.
• Finalizing the design and construction of the aeration system at the Wastewater Reclamation Facility to prepare for the second ditch to turn on to accommodate for increased use as Fruita grows in the future.                

The City of Fruita’s annual budget mirrors the priorities outlined in the Fruita Strategic Plan while also providing essential core services and aligning with the City’s core values. The Fruita Strategic Plan outlines priorities for the next two years based on the City’s long-term planning documents including the 10-year Fruita in Motion Comprehensive Plan, master plans, and the 2021 community survey results. The plan serves as a guide for City Council and staff in the creation of the City Annual Budget (as shown in the diagram to the right).

“The planning documents that guide Fruita City Council and staff’s decision-making for each budget year is the reflection of an extensive amount of community input from Fruita residents. We are proud of the input our community provides us to help guide decision-making that aligns with the community’s values.” – Mike Bennett, City Manager

The 2023 Adopted Budget reflects the commitment of the City Council and staff to achieve a balance of a conservative fiscal policy while also allocating time, talent, and resources to defined areas of Fruita’s Economic Health, Quality of Place, and Lifestyle.

Click Here to View the 2023 City of Fruita Budget

Reading the 2023 City of Fruita Budget

The 2023 City of Fruita Budget contains a detailed description of how the city plans to invest and spend available resources to achieve outcomes identified in the Strategic Plan and maintain a high level of core service delivery and city operations. The 2023 Proposed Budget has the five main parts:

1. City Manager’s Budget Message and Introduction

The City Manager’s Budget Message is a transmittal letter to the Fruita City Council and the Fruita community and summarizes the contents of the 2023 Budget. The transmittal letter includes highlights of the 2023 Budget, a year in review and highlight of accomplishments of 2022, and a financial overview of the City. Following the transmittal letter, the introduction includes information on elected and appointed officials for Fruita, detailed information on the Fruita community, and demographic data.

2. Policies and Procedures

The policies and procedures chapter of the budget includes an overview of the budget process, fund types, budget policies, information on city goals and core services, and an overview of the City of Fruita’s Pay Plan.

3. Budget Overview

This section includes summaries of all funds for the 2023 Budget, sources of revenues, types of expenditures and costs by department and fund. For comparison, 2020 and 2021 actual amounts are provided, as well as the 2022 Adopted Budget, and 2022 actual estimated amounts. The % change indicates the percentage change between the 2023 Budget and 2022 estimated actuals. This section also includes a summary of all capital equipment and capital projects included in the budget.

4. Fund and Departmental Overviews

Fund and Departmental Overviews describe the city’s operational structure and function, accomplishments from 2022, budget highlights for 2023, and performance measures for each department. It also includes details on significant changes between the 2022 and 2023 operating budgets, as well as the detailed program budget for each department and program.

5. Appendix

The Appendix section contains supplemental information to the 2023 Budget.