Bemidji City Council to look back at 2020 city finances at tonight's meeting

Apr. 12—BEMIDJI — A financial review of 2020 will be on the table for the at tonight's meeting.

During the evening work session, the council will be shown a presentation with data on several city monetary metrics. According to city documents, a large portion of the presentation will be on the general fund, which is the largest fund for basic operations.

Activities coverd by the general fund include government services, such as administrative work and legal duties, as well as public works, recreation and public safety. For 2020, the general fund had a surplus of $1.1 million.

The primary contributor to the surplus was $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief dollars. While there was a surplus, revenue in 2020 came in $124,000 under budget.

As part of the general fund, the city maintains a fund balance equal to 50% of the subsequent year's budget. The balance is kept at that level for cash flow in cases of unexpected expenses.

The cash flow is needed as the majority of the general fund dollars come from property taxes and local government aid from the state, which is provided in July and December.

Monday's presentation includes a recommendation to use $450,585 for the fund balance and to apply the remaining $642,424 to South Shore bond costs.

The council is scheduled to start their meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, Monday, April 12. The meeting can be viewed on the city's website.