FISHER: CITY OF BRENHAM LOSES OVER $1M IN REVENUE DUE TO COVID-19

  

The City of Brenham has experienced significant revenue loss in the 2019-2020 Fiscal Year due to COVID-19.

City Manager James Fisher presented the City Council at its meeting today (Thursday) with an update on the budget for the current fiscal year stating that, due to shutdowns of both Texas and Brenham, the city has lost an estimated $1,058,656 in revenue.

Fisher said that the city made adjustments to the budget as soon as the shutdown started.

 

Fisher also assured that the City of Brenham is still in good shape financially for the current fiscal year, mentioning that he has a contingency item in the budget with $160,000 set aside in this year’s planned budget in case money was needed elsewhere.

Fisher said that new construction and other projects are helping to close the gap in the budgeted amount and the loss of revenue.

As Brenham began opening back up after the statewide stay-at-home order was lifted, expenses increased due to the reopening of the library, parks, and Blue Bell Aquatic Center, along with planning events such as the Movies in the Park and community activities. Fisher said, however, that while expenses increased, revenue continued to grow, closing the gap between the actual revenue and the budgeted amount.

Fisher said that the city has shifted its focus to planning the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and a meeting will be held in July to go over the city’s plans.

Fisher stated that there is a contingency plan in place for the city if there were to be a second or third wave of COVID-19, but that plan is still being shaped in order to provide the most efficient response. He shared that the hardest part of planning next year’s budget has been estimating an accurate income with the unknowns of COVID-19.