The public will have a chance Tuesday evening to provide input at a public hearing for the Collinsville Area Recreation District’s May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015 budget.

The proposed budget bears little resemblance to the prior year budget  (see the fiscal 2015 full budget here and prior budgets here). The 2015 version, the first impacted by three referendums publicly supported by four of the five board members that reduced the amount of taxes CARD can levy for operations, anticipates an increase of $5,792 in property taxes over the 2014 budget. The overall budget has a deficit of $483,435.

The budget includes a 28 percent reduction in General Fund expenses compared to the 2014 projected budget, including $90,000 less in salaries, a 33 percent reduction in Recreation Fund expenses, including $111,500 in salaries and a 13 percent reduction in Aquatic Fund expenses, including $42,767 in salaries.

Since March 6, the executive director, events and programs supervisor, Splash City supervisor and the marketing and communications coordinator have all left CARD. Their positions have not been filled.

Compared to the 2014 projected budget, the Museum Fund is to have a 16 percent increase in expenses, including a $16,600 increase in salaries. Expenses in the Golf Fund are projected to grow by 5 percent, including a $42,500 increase in salaries. Capital Improvement Fund expenditures are expected to be $1,283,579, a 74 percent increase over the 2014 budget.

Maintenance of the Arlington Greens Golf Course grounds is projected to cost $32,570 in fiscal year 2015, a 117 percent increase over the 2014 fiscal year budget. Maintenance supplies at the golf course are budgeted at $8,200, a 41 percent decrease from the 2014 budget.

The cash strapped parks and recreation district, whose commissioners speak frequently of a need to reduce expenses as well as generate new revenues, converted a 2014 marketing budget of $112,788 to a 2015 advertising budget of $39,400.

Printing and postage expenses, for which there was no budget in fiscal 2014, were allotted $16,450 in 2015. The office supply budget was reduced by $15,000 from the prior year.

Revenue projections in the proposed budget are not always clear. Items such as Due to From ($6,828), Vending Machine Sales ($4,900), Reimbursements ($59,350) and Other Income ($13,400) are not attributed to a source of income. Efforts to reach Interim Executive Director Susan Zaber were unsuccessful.

Revenue from golf leagues was projected to decrease by $18,000 over the prior year budget and golf fees by $49,500. Tournaments are expected to bring in an additional $7,000. The course generated a day-to-day operating profit of about $112,000 in fiscal 2014.

The budget hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the CARD administrative office, 10 Gateway Drive, Collinsville. A regular meeting of the CARD board of commissioners is scheduled to follow. Discussion and action regarding the budget ordinance is a listed agenda item.