SACO — City expenditures were less than anticipated in fiscal year 2014, according to an outside audit report.

Roger Lebreux, of the accounting firm Runyon Kersteen Ouellette, gave an overview of the city’s financial audit at Monday night’s city council meeting.

“The report indicates a favorable financial position going into the new year for the City of Saco,” according to written council commentary. “The City’s unassigned fund balance is within policy, and our debt service remains well below state regulation.”

For fiscal year 2014, which ended June 30 of last year, the city had nearly $45.7 million in revenues and nearly $45.4 million in expenditures, according to Lebreux.

The city had budgeted nearly $46.5 million of expenditures for fiscal year 2014.

The actual expenditures for that year were about $1.1 million less than that, according to Lebreux.

General government came in under budget by nearly $174,000, due to “conservative budgeting” and open positions that were not immediately filled, according to Lebreux.

Public works was under budget by more than $329,000, due to no major breakdowns in equipment, coupled with a lack of surcharges in recycling, said Lebreux.

The city also paid less than expected in health insurance increases, according to Lebreux.

Capital improvement projects came in about $308,000 under budget, as road and sidewalk improvements and other projects were delayed, said Lebreux. Several of these projects will be carried over to the next fiscal year, he said.

Cultural and recreation fees were over budget, but offset by increased revenues in the recreation department, according to Lebreux.

The city had anticipated drawing $1.3 million from surplus and $400,000 from carry-over funds to balance the budget, but it did not need to do so, according to audit charts.

Tax revenues were higher than expected due to higher-than-anticipated excise taxes from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Sales of city assets exceeded budget expectations, due in part to the sale of the former Thornton Avenue fire station, said Lebreux.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribunecom.