The Kalispell City Council on Monday approved a property-tax levy and 2015 budget, with some concerns raised about how the budget could be impacted by the 911 interlocal agreement.

The overall budget amounts to $45,791,580, slightly less than the 2014 budget of $46,822,000.

Council member Jim Atkinson wanted to make it clear that just a fraction of that amount, about $7 million, is supported by property taxes. A variety of other revenue sources, such as water and sewer impact fees and other enterprise funds, make up the balance.

Taxpayers “get a $46 million business from $7 million in tax revenues,” Atkinson noted.

Council members praised city staffers for their work on a budget that does not increase the number of city employees and stays 1.6 mills under the state property-tax cap. Council members were particularly pleased that the city’s $10 million general fund is expected to have a 20.5 percent reserve balance at the end of the fiscal year.

“You guys should be commended. You’ve done it,” said council member Tim Kluesner, adding that the goal of achieving a 20 percent reserve was set less than two years ago.

City Manager Doug Russell noted achieving the goal involved the help of others, such as city unions that recognize there is value in the city having a sound financial foundation.

The budget includes pay raises averaging about 3 percent for union and nonunion city employees. Russell said the raises and other increased costs were possible partly because of growth in the city property tax base that generated about $120,000 in additional revenue over the past year.

At one point in the meeting, council member Phil Guiffrida voiced concerns about the  911 interlocal agreement involving Kalispell, Flathead County, Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

He said a final budget for the 911 dispatch center has yet to be adopted, and if the Flathead County commissioners provides for pay raises at the center in the months to come, the city may be faced with doing a budgetary amendment to provide its share of increased labor costs.

The city should not be put in a position where it is “robbing our fiscally responsible reserve fund,” he said.

Mayor Mark Johnson said he too would like to see better communication with the county and a 911 budget approved before the cities adopt their budgets.

“We’re not privy to what the commissioners may do,” he said. “However, we also need to proceed as a city and conduct our business.”

Guiffrida and council member Chad Graham both voted against the annual appropriations resolution to register their concerns about outside impacts on the city budget, but Guiffrida emphasized that he is pleased with the work of city staff and the budget overall.

The council went on to pass a series of budget resolutions for a variety of property tax assessments.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.