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Municipal Utility Finances
Revenue
Each of the four municipal utilities are treated like separate businesses. The expenses for each utility are paid for with revenue from that utility's customers. The utilities are not generally supported with tax revenues.
Water & Sewer
The water and wastewater utilities are considered break-even funds. This means that over time, the expenses and revenues closely match. The water and sewer funds are highly affected by wet and dry years, so certain years show greater profits or losses. These funds do carry some debt from the construction of the water and sewer plant as well as from various development projects around Sioux Center.
Electric & Natural Gas
The electric and natural gas utilities each earn a small profit margin (between 2-5% of gross revenue) each year and carry no debt. This profit margin is put into local projects, such as a new gas line or an improvement to an electric substation.
The profit generated from these utilities has also been used to purchase property around Sioux Center for future economic development. Having this property immediately available for economic development prospects has proved invaluable to Sioux Center in attracting businesses to our community.
Impact on City Finances
The municipal utilities are a critical component in keeping the city's finances in a solid position for the future.
Fiscal Year 2022 Utility Finances
| Electric | Gas | Water | Sewer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue from Customers | $10,074,000 | $11,949,000 | $2,199,000 | $2,161,000 |
| Other Revenues | 764,000 | 152,000 | 28,000 | 963,000 |
| Total Revenues | $10,838,000 | $12,101,000 | $2,227,000 | $3,124,000 |
| Expenses | Electric | Gas | Water | Sewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase of Electricity/Gas | $7,944,000 | $10,371,000 | N/A | N/A |
| Transfer to the General Fund | $526,000 | $160,000 | $112,000 | N/A |
| Other Expenses | $2,458,000 | $1,913,000 | $1,890,000 | $3,268,000 |
| Total Expenses | $10,978,000 | $12,444,000 | $2,002,000 | $3,268,000 |
Margin
| Profit | Electric | Gas | Water | Sewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit (Loss) | $(140,000) | $(343,000) | $225,000 | $(144,000) |
For further detail see the Annual Financial Report.