Zack Thorington

Halfway through the fiscal year, the City of Powell’s budget is on track, with the city having spent a bit less than half of the money it budgeted while receiving a little more revenue than expected.

From July 1 to Dec. 31, the city spent $9.82 million, or roughly 45% of its $21.85 million budget. Meanwhile, it received $10.3 million, which represents just about 50% of the $20.5 million the city expects to collect by the end of June.

“Really, we’re on the mark,” City Administrator Zack Thorington reported at the council’s Jan. 16 meeting.

The numbers vary by department, as each operates a little differently.

For instance, Thorington said more than half of the sanitation budget — 55% of its $1.77 million appropriation — has already been spent due to a change in the way the city handles its trash.

For years, the city had hired a contractor to haul its refuse to a landfill in Billings, as the rates were low enough to make the trip worth it. However, recent rate hikes in Billings changed the math, and in July, Powell officials opted to instead truck the city’s trash to the Park County Regional Landfill south of Cody.

“We had some big purchases and a truck with the whole change …,” Thorington said.

However, he said the switch to Cody has been “great” and “wonderful” overall.

He added that most branches of the city government were under their budgets at the year’s halfway point. For example, the Powell Police Department had spent only about 43% of its $2.85 million through December, due in part to being short-staffed. The department is currently short four officers, though Thorington said a woman has been hired and will fill one of those positions soon. Additionally, he said a recent hire brought the number of dispatchers back to full staff.

On the revenue side of the budget, Thorington said the city has also gotten an unexpected boost from the cash it holds in savings (as interest rates are up significantly) and on the money it’s invested. Across its various accounts, the city has received $123,333 in income from investments and interest earned. That’s a dramatic $86,600 increase from what the city had expected to have in hand at the halfway point.

“Every investment is up right now,” Thorington reported. “[It] may be not good for the consumer with interest rates, but our investments are doing well.”

Another possible boost could be coming from the federal government. Powell leaders set aside $420,000 this fiscal year to upgrade the HVAC systems at city hall, the police station and The Commons, but they’re now hoping to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for the work instead. The State Loan and Investment Board is in charge of distributing the dollars and will consider the city’s application — and those from plenty of other local governments — on Feb. 27 and 28.