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<br />25 <br /> <br />4826-7904-2280v7/200434-0005 <br />respective budgets. From March to April, the budget team meets with department representatives to review, <br />discuss & plan the anticipated goals for the upcoming fiscal year. The City holds community budget meetings <br />in March and April where information about the budget process is provided to the community and community <br />input is gathered. In May, the City Manager presents a long-term financial outlook to the City Council. The <br />purpose of the outlook is to ensure that the City’s financial environment is stable, efficient and transparent, and <br />to ensure the organization’s long-term financial viability. Based upon City Council budget priorities, the <br />Executive Management Team reviews operating budgets and Capital Improvements Program requests. The <br />budget team evaluates and prioritizes the program requirements, determines funding availability and develops a <br />balanced budget. Final budget decisions are made according to the purpose, vision and goals of the City. <br />Between April and June, the City Manager conducts individual meetings with each City Councilmember <br />for review of the budget and economic conditions overview. The purpose of these sessions is to support the <br />preparation of the upcoming budget and provide a status of the current year’s budget and preliminary projections <br />of General Fund revenues and expenditures. A public hearing notice is published in a local publication in May. <br />During this public hearing, the proposed budget is presented to the City Council and any new changes are <br />incorporated into the budget. Copies of the line-item budget, as presented in the proposed budget document, are <br />made available to the public. After the conclusion of the public hearing, the City Council may further consider <br />the proposed budget and make any revisions thereof that it may deem advisable. <br />On or before the 30th day of June, the City Council meets to adopt the proposed budget, as amended, <br />by the affirmative vote of a majority of the City Council. Pursuant to the City charter, the City Council must <br />adopt a budget by no later than July 31. Upon final adoption, the budget will be in effect for the ensuing fiscal <br />year. The adopted budget becomes the authority for the various departments to expend appropriations, subject <br />to controls established by the City charter. A copy of the adopted budget, certified by the Clerk of the Council, <br />must be reproduced and copies made available for the use of all officers, offices, departments, and other agencies <br />of the City and for the use of civic organizations. <br />The City may amend the budget during the fiscal year by an appropriation adjustment. This action <br />requires a supermajority City Council vote. The need to amend or adjust the budget typically arises in response <br />to unforeseen circumstances or events. If the request for an appropriation adjustment is a shift of budget between <br />two different departments and/or involves more than one fund, then City Council approval is required. The City <br />Manager has the authorization to amend City Council–approved appropriations if the amendment is to shift <br />budget within a single department and fund. The City Manager is not authorized to increase the overall budget. <br />Fiscal Year 2020 Budget. The City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2020 budget on July 2, 2019. <br />Budgeted expenditures for the General Fund totaled approximately $316.1 million for Fiscal Year 2020. Actual <br />expenditures for the General Fund totaled approximately $310.9 million, or approximately $5.3 million or 1.7% <br />lower than budgeted. <br />Original budgeted revenues for the General Fund totaled approximately $316.1 million for Fiscal Year <br />2020. Actual revenues for the General Fund totaled approximately $325.7 million, or approximately $9 million <br />or 2.8% more than the original budget. See the caption “THE CITY—COVID-19 Outbreak.” <br />Fiscal Year 2021 Budget. The City Council adopted a budget for Fiscal Year 2021 on July 7, 2020 <br />which took into account the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Budgeted expenditures for the General Fund <br />total approximately $325.9 million for Fiscal Year 2021, an increase of approximately $14.2 million (4.6%) <br />more than the Fiscal Year 2020 adjusted budgeted expenditures. Budgeted revenues for the General Fund total <br />approximately $307.4 million for Fiscal Year 2021, a decrease of approximately $8.1 million (2.6%) below the <br />adjusted estimate for Fiscal Year 2020 revenues. The Fiscal Year 2021 original budget projected an ending <br />General Fund balance of approximately $52.3 million (including transfers out), a decrease of approximately <br />$18.6 million from the projected beginning General Fund balance of approximately $70.8 million.