The Gulf Shores Finance Department has been recognized with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 13 consecutive years and is looking to add another with the budget for 2024.

The city council on Nov. 13 passed the budget projecting $255 million in revenue versus $251 million in expected expenditures. Because of the cyclical nature of the summer season, both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach use the calendar year for their fiscal budgets. Typically, other government entities have a fiscal year from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

“General Funds 2024 Budget for ongoing city operations such as police, fire, public works, recreation, finance & administration, building, planning and zoning, and the executive office is $73.6 million for revenues; expenses are $73 Million,” a memo to the council states.”

Included in the budget are recommendations for adding staff with six full-time positions and six seasonal employees including:

• One public works landscape grounds worker II for street tree needs
• One human resources specialist
• Two police patrol officers
• One network administrator
• One Recreation & Cultural Affairs events program assistant
• Six seasonal lifeguards

Capital Improvements for the city in the 2024 budget total $155.47 million and include these projects including several that have grant matches including Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development or BUILD grant and Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program or ATRIP:

• BUILD – Medical Village Phase 2 Signal $300,000
• BUILD - Pedestrian Bridge construction $10.2 million
• BUILD – State Route 59 widening construction $4.3 million
• ATRIP 2 – Target to County Road 8 $4.6 million
• BUILD – County Road 6 West $316,764
• Windmill Ridge Road and one pedestrian bridge $1.1 million
• Coastal Gateway Boulevard to County Road 6 connector road $4.3 million
• Waterway West Boulevard $3.2 million
• Walking district parking/streetscape $2.5 million

According to a memo on the budget presented at the Nov. 13 meeting shows expenses will increase to $70.4 million or 39 percent over 2023 “primarily due to borrowed funds usage for school, public safety, parks and transportation projects which resulted in an overall larger budget for 2024. General Fund revenue increase of $7.6 million or 12%. The General Fund includes another $2 million allocation for the Gulf Shores City Board of Education.”

Gulf Shores will add $5.3 million to its reserve with a target of $51.1 million total or 70 percent of the general fund.

“The combination of strong management and continuing to increase the city reserves have resulted not only in GFOA Budget and Audit awards but affirmation of double A credit ratings from both Moody’s and S&P rating agencies which enable the city to borrow money for much-needed projects at lower rates,” the memo states.