Fargo, N.D. – Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney says city leaders and department heads plan to meet on July 14th to discuss possible service reductions to address a projected budget shortfall next year.
Mahoney says the city is looking to fill a $6 million budget gap, as the city looks for ways to continue providing services.
“The city of Fargo has grown by 20% in the last ten years,” Mahoney told The Flag on Thursday. “Our population is now sneaking up to 136,000…so we have to provide services for all that.”
Although no final decisions have been made, Mahoney says department heads will run through service reduction scenarios, and could explore possible staff cuts as an option.
“To clear the downtown snow [alone] is $1.5 million each winter,” said Mahoney. “It’s just how do we start repackaging [city services] is what is going to be discussed.”
Mahoney also suggested city financing could be slashed temporarily to Hector International Airport, saying the facility is already receiving tens of millions of dollars in federal and state funding.
“It’ll be a discussion we will have with them [the airport],” said Mahoney. “if the city is in trouble and we pull one mill [tax levy] that’s $800,000 that would help fix that shortfall and we’ll give the mill back next year.”
“If we’re in a tough bind, why not.”
