No city department is safe from cuts or service reductions as Des Moines leaders confront a multi-million-dollar hit to the budget in the 2028 fiscal year, starting July 1, 2027.
With the city budget approved for the upcoming fiscal year starting July 1, Des Moines leaders are getting a head start on confronting a predicted $12 million shortfall in fiscal year 2028, and an additional $5 million gap in the 2029 budget year, which starts July 1, 2028.
Des Moines City Council members met on Wednesday, June 17, to begin discussions for possible cuts and reductions to city services and departments, as well as new or updated public fees. City leaders emphasized the reductions on the list aren’t official proposals, but suggestions to help start a series of conversations with the public over the next few months.
City manager Scott Sanders and finance director Nick Schaul say the impacts to the budget are a result of a property tax reform bill approved by Iowa lawmakers in early May, which includes a 2% growth cap on local governments’ general fund levies, with exceptions for new construction.
This year’s budget includes an estimated $256 million general fund, which makes up the largest portion of Des Moines’ nearly $855 million operating budget. Largely funded with property taxes, the general fund pays for all of the city’s operations and departments.
On Wednesday, city leaders went through a series of savings possibilities from every department, from police to engineering to libraries. Here are five takeaways from the conversation.
Reducing the DMPD neighborhood policing program
The Des Moines Police Department’s Neighborhood-Based Service Delivery is made up of 16 officers dedicated to community policing, who often serve as a liaison between the City Council and neighbors.
With a reduction, the officers would stop patrolling their assigned neighborhoods and attending neighborhood association meetings to provide resources and information.
“It’s a big reduction in the personal service that neighborhoods are going to receive,” Police Chief Michael McTaggart said.
In response to a question from council member Rob Barron about why the program was the police department’s only option for reduction, McTaggart said the police department’s main responsibilities, emergency calls and investigations, have already been “reduced so far.”
“We have a 100-plus-year-old building we’re working out of, our staff is at the max, and the calls that they have been going on … they’re more serious and more serious,” McTaggart said.
Estimated savings: About $1.3 million
Wide range of cuts presented for Des Moines Public Library
City officials presented a wide range of possible reductions for the Des Moines Public Library, including program reductions and branch closures.
Community member Duncan Burnett attended the budget discussion on Wednesday morning after hearing some libraries could potentially be on the chopping block.
Forest Avenue and North Side libraries, he said, are key resources in the neighborhood and safe spaces for kids. The Des Moines Public Library makes up about 4% of the city’s $256 million general fund.
Some of the city’s ideas for library cuts included:
Sanders said City Council members could recommend how much to cut for the library, but the Des Moines Public Library Board of Trustees would make the final decision on how to allocate the cuts.
City swimming pool closures back on the table
The city’s public swimming pools could once again be on the chopping block to help the city mitigate its deficit.
Last year, the Birdland Pool avoided permanent closure amid the city’s $17 million shortfall after community members rallied to save the northside neighborhood pool.
Pool closures were listed among several savings options from the Parks and Recreation Department on Wednesday, which included reducing police presence, environmental education programs and park and cemetery maintenance.
Closing two of the five swimming pools could save the city $460,000 in operating costs, plus more in capital costs, which include maintenance and repairs, Schaul said.
City staff haven’t selected which facilities could close, though Sanders said the city would consider where the pools are located in Des Moines.
Council member Linda Westergaard, who advocated for preserving Birdland Pool in her ward, asked on Wednesday if the city would consider rotating closures or reducing hours instead. It would make little sense to close a pool like Birdland after the city invested $1 million in repairs, she said.
Parks and Recreation Director Ben Page said finding cost savings for pools is hard because maintenance on pools are required even on days when the pools are closed.
“To find a significant chunk to save, you really have to look at a permanent closure,” Page said.
He added that the newly opened Reichardt Community Recreation Center’s indoor pool is already closed until Labor Day, so residents can make use of the city’s outdoor pools. The five pools are each closed one day a week, he said.
Cutting vacant administrator position focused on homeless policies
Des Moines could choose not to fill its vacant homeless policy administrator position, but increase its contribution to other housing resources, Schaul said.
The city hired Amber Lewis as Des Moines’ first homeless policy administrator in 2023 based on growing concerns over homeless camps and to address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.
In an agreement with the Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellows program, the city will host a fellow from Harvard College to work on shelter solutions. The two-year program, funded by a grant, will help supplement some of the city’s efforts to help people experiencing homelessness, Schaul said.
Estimated savings: $115,000
Hiring emergency medics and paramedics who are already trained
Some City Council members had questions about an option to reduce the amount of professional emergency medical services and paramedic training for recruits by hiring classes that are already certified.
Sanders and Schaul said the city already hires certified classes once every few years, but the change would increase the frequency.
Barron said he was concerned that hiring more experienced firefighters from outside communities means less hiring from within the city. Council member Joe Gatto said he wanted to make sure that youth in the city still had plenty of opportunities to interact with the fire department and learn about career options.
Assistant Fire Chief Brian Davis told the council the estimated savings are what the department pays Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) for its EMT and paramedic program.
He said people have a few options for training programs they can take independently at community colleges, which offer a lot of the training that new recruits would receive once hired by the city.
The fire department also plans to increase its presence in schools, Davis said.
Estimated savings: $165,000
How Des Moines residents can weigh in
Community members will be able to participate in an online exercise starting June 29 that allows for feedback on the city budget at dsm.city/budget. That survey will be live until the end of July, and the results will be published in early August.
In early July, the city will host a public meeting to discuss the budget gap and potential solutions. The City Council will have a vote on cuts and give budget direction to the city manager on Sept. 14.
Des Moines Register reporter Veronica Meiss contributed to this report.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How could Des Moines confront its $12M shortfall in budget year 2028?
Reporting by Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
