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HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2019, 02/12) - F-3 - AmendedBUDGET ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION PURPOSE F-3 To establish the policy for the preparation, adoption, and administration of the City's Annual Budget. POLICY A. Budgeting Philosophy. The City shall prepare and adopt an annual budget by June 30, of each year, as required by Section 1104 of the City Charter. To the extent practicable, the budget shall be prepared to generate a surplus in most years by conservatively estimating projected revenues and liberally estimating projected expenses. Surpluses will be allocated by the City Council pursuant to Policy F-5 or as otherwise determined by the City Council. The City has a wide variety of obligations associated with its activities and shall establish appropriate reserves for such obligations based upon the best available information at the time each budget is prepared. The City Council shall direct and control the planned use of reserves through the budget appropriation process. Appropriations for operating expenditures shall generally be balanced with current revenue sources and absent compelling, unexpected circumstances, will generally not rely on one-time revenue sources or reserves. However, this constraint is not intended to limit the periodic use of financial resources that were accumulated over time for a specific purpose or use of reserves consistent with their intended purpose. The City Council shall maintain a contingency reserve that shall be a "safety net" to address exigent circumstances consistent with Council Policy F-2 section E. 1. This reserve will generally not be used for other purposes. The contingency reserve will be invested in short-term readily liquid assets so they can be utilized on short notice. The budget may be developed with one or more contingency plans to protect against volatility or unexpected events. When significant uncertainty exists concerning revenue volatility or threatened/ pending obligations, the City Council and City Manager reserve the right to impose any special fiscal control measures, including a personnel hiring freeze, and other spending controls, whenever 1 F-3 circumstances warrant. The City Council may authorize the use of contingency reserves for any purpose as set forth by Council Policy F-2. B. Organization of the Budget. The Budget shall consist of two volumes: the Budget Detail and the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The Budget Detail is an Operating Budget, which shall also provide historical trends of summary level information and contains line -by-line detail regarding operating expenditures and revenue estimates for the prior year, current year and budget year. Operating expenditures are categorized into five classifications within the Operating Budget. These are Salaries and Benefits, Maintenance and Operations, Capital Outlay, Debt Services and Interfund Transfers. The CIP document provides a summary of current and future planned projects, basic descriptions of each project, the anticipated funding source and the scope of work to be performed. CIP improvements are generally major facility or infrastructure improvement projects managed by the Public Works Department. The Finance Committee generally will not make a recommendation on the CIP Budget because it is within the purview of the City Council alone to determine how best to spend the City's resources. However, to the extent needed capital improvements or repairs come to the attention of the Finance Committee and the failure to construct those improvements or make those repairs may expose the City to financial risk, the Finance Committee may make a recommendation that such improvements be installed in the coming fiscal year(s). Because of the nature and scope of the CIP improvements, in most instances, the construction of such improvements will take place over more than one fiscal year. The final and complete versions of both budget volumes will be published and available on the City's website by no later than September 30th. C. Budget Process. In November of each year, the Finance Department will prepare a budget calendar and issue budget instructions to each department for use in preparing the budget. During December of each year, the Finance Department will prepare updated revenue estimates and fund balance projections for the current year and prepare preliminary revenue projections for the next fiscal year. Included in these instructions will be budget guidelines and, if deemed necessary, appropriation 2 F-3 targets for each department. These guidelines will be developed by the Finance Director and approved by the City Manager. After further refinements of revenue estimates and the completion of Department proposed expenditure appropriation requests, the Finance Department will summarize department requests for review by the City Manager. After the City Manager has reviewed and amended the Department Directors requests, the Finance Department will prepare the City Manager's proposed budget for the next fiscal year and shall submit it to the City Council and to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee should have the opportunity to question staff and discuss the Budget Detail on at least two occasions. The City Council shall hold as many budget study sessions as it deems necessary. The City Council and the Finance Committee should have a joint meeting (which may be in a Study Session) not later than the second Council meeting in May to discuss the Budget Detail. After the joint meeting, the Finance Committee shall make a recommendation to the City Council on the Budget Detail. Such recommendation need not include any recommendation on items on the Proposed Budget Revisions unless the Finance Committee is specifically asked to do so by the City Council. All proposed Council changes to the City Manager's proposed budget shall be itemized in a document referred to as the Proposed Budget Revisions. The City Council shall hold a budget hearing and adopt the proposed budget with any desired Proposed Budget Revisions on or before June 30 by formal budget resolution. When adopted, the proposed budget as supplement by the finalized Proposed Budget Revisions shall become the final budget. D. Long -Range Financial Forecast (LRFF). Strategic planning begins with determining the City's fiscal capacity based upon long-term financial forecasts of recurring available revenues and future financial obligations. Prior to the adoption of the annual budget, the Finance Department will prepare and present to the Finance Committee a Long -Range Financial Forecast that evaluates known internal and external issues impacting the City's financial condition. The LRFF is intended to help the City achieve the following: 1. The City can attain and maintain financial sustainability; 2. The City has sufficient long-term information to guide financial decisions; 3 F-3 3. The City has sufficient resources to provide programs and services for the stakeholders; 4. Identify potential risks to on-going operations in the long-term financial planning process and communicate these risks on an annual basis; 5. Establish mechanisms to identify early warning indicators; and 6. Identify changes in expenditure or revenue structures needed to deliver services or to meet the goals adopted by the City Council. The LRFF will forecast revenues, expenditures, and the financial position of the General Fund Contingency Reserve at least five years into the future or longer where specific issues call for a longer time horizon. The LRFF will identify issues that may challenge the continued financial health of the City, and the plan will identify possible solutions to those challenges. Planning decisions shall be made primarily from a long-term perspective and structural balance is the goal of the planning process. E. Administration of the Annual Budget. During the budget year, Department Directors and their designated representatives may authorize only those expenditures that are based on appropriations previously approved by City Council action, and only from accounts under their organizational responsibility. Any unexpended appropriations, except valid encumbrances such as commitments already made, expire at fiscal year-end unless specifically reappropriated by the City Council for expenditure during the ensuing fiscal year. Department Directors shall not authorize expenditures above budget appropriations in any given expenditure Classification within their purview, without additional appropriation or transfer as specified below. Appropriations may be transferred, amended or reduced subject to the following limitations: 1. New Appropriations. During the Budget Year, the City Council may appropriate additional funds, as it deems appropriate, by a City Council Budget Amendment. The City Manager has authority to approve requests for budget increases not to exceed $10,000 in any Budget line item or activity or Capital Project. The ability of the City Manager to approve such requests must be specifically included in each year's Budget Resolution to remain valid. 4 F-3 2. Grants & Donations. The City Manager may accept grants or donations of up to $30,000 on behalf of the City, but shall refer any such grant or donation to the City Council for consideration if a condition of such grant or donation entails any duty of the City to contribute and/or expend a sum in excess of $10,000 not covered by such grant or donation, or that carries a future obligation to maintain and/or insure any improvement. The City Council will be formally notified of all grants or donations on a quarterly basis by way of a "receive and file" or other Council meeting agenda item. This ability of the City Manager to accept grants or donations must be specifically included in each year's Budget Resolution to remain valid. Additionally, grant related appropriations approved by City Council may be carried forward to the following fiscal year(s) as long as the grant terms remain valid, the expenditures are consistent with the previous Council authorization, and the funds would otherwise need to be returned to the granting or donor agency. Also, see Council Policy F-25 for specific grant acceptance and administration procedures. Grant agreements and restricted donations in excess of $30,000 must be specifically approved by the City Council. Occasionally, the terms and conditions of a grant are approved by City Council in a year prior to when the program activity will take place and therefore, the funds are not appropriated to carry out the grant at that time. In such cases, the City Manager may appropriate the funds when they are received, provided the expenditures clearly meet the amount, terms, nature and intent of the grant or donation previously approved by City Council. 3. Assessment District Appropriation. Assessment district projects are typically funded by property owner contributions and bond financing secured by property assessments. City staff will initially seek appropriation to advance City resources for the assessment engineering and the design work related to a proposed assessment district. Since the City's advance is at risk until a district is formed at a public hearing, the appropriation related to advanced resources shall be subject to the normal budget policies. However, once the district has been formed at a public hearing, the City Council will adopt a "project -length" budget for the assessment district and City staff will be allowed to roll the appropriations forward into future fiscal years without rebudgeting the project through the formal CIP process. 5 F-3 When assessment bonds are issued to finance the improvements, the bond issuance costs will be estimated at the maximum amount that would be required to complete the improvements because it is not known how many property owners will opt to pay the assessment in full during the cash collection period, thereby reducing the size of the bond. Finance staff will also have the authority to reduce Council appropriations (related to bond issuance costs) after bonds are resized and sold. Money advanced by the City will be included in the assessment amount and be reimbursed to the City when the assessment district is formed except to the extent otherwise agreed to by City Council resolution. 4. Transfers within Departments. During the fiscal year, actual expenditures may exceed budget appropriations for specific expenditure line items within departmental budgets. If a departmental budget within a specific Classification is not exceeded, the Finance Director has the authority to transfer funds elsewhere within that Classification and Department to make the most efficient use of those funds appropriated by the City Council. 5. Transfers between Departments. Further, funds may be realigned between one Department and another, within the same Classification, with City Manager approval. For example, if a Fire Department function and the employee who accomplishes it are replaced by a slightly different function assigned to the Police Department, the City Manager may authorize the transfer of appropriated funds to support this function. 6. Transfers between Expenditure Categories. Any reprogramming of funds (i.e. movement) of funds among the five Classifications within the General or other Fund(s) requires the City Manager's approval. Any budget revision that changes the total amount budgeted for any fund (other than the minor provisions contained in paragraphs E.1. and E.7.b.) must be approved by the City Council. 7. Transfers between Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). Budget Transfers between Capital Improvement Projects shall be subject to the following parameters: a. Excess Project Appropriations or savings should be closed out and returned to the project's fund balance. Funds may then be 6 F-3 reappropriated to a new or existing project with the approval of City Council. b. Excess Project Appropriations may also be transferred from one CIP project to another, if the projects utilize the same funding source and are for substantially the same project purpose and physical location. Project appropriation transfers of this nature shall require the approval of the City Manager. All proposed budget amendments and transfers will be submitted to the Finance Director for review and processing prior to City Manager or Council authorization. All unexpended and unencumbered appropriations for the operating budget will be canceled on June 30 of each fiscal year. All appropriations in the Capital Improvement Budget for projects currently underway and remaining unexpended at June 30111, as approved by the City Manager, will be appropriated to those projects in the following fiscal year CIP Budget. Incomplete projects may be reappropriated by the City Council during the Budget process or by separate Council action. F. Management Authorization and Responsibilities. Once the final Budget has been approved by the City Council, specific City Council approval to make expenditures consistent with the Budget will not be required except as provided by other Council Policies and Administrative Procedures. It is the responsibility of the City Manager and management to administer the City's budget within the framework of policy and appropriation as approved by the City Council. 1. The Finance Director is responsible for checking purchase requests against availability of funds and authorization as per the approved Budget. 2. Unless otherwise directed, routine filling of vacancies in staff positions authorized within the Budget will not require further City Council approval. However, new position, not addressed by the adopted budget shall require City Council approval. 3. At fiscal year end, the Finance Director is authorized to record accruals and transfers between funds and accounts in order to close projects or the books of accounts of the City in accordance with generally accepted governmental accounting principles as established by the Government Accounting 7 F-3 Standards Board, Government Finance Officers Association, and other appropriate accounting pronouncements. Any net shortage within a Fund will be recorded as a decrease in Fund Balance. Any net excess will be recorded as an increase to one or more appropriate Reserve Accounts as recommended by the Finance Director and approved by the City Manager or as is otherwise dictated by Council Reserve Policy (F-2). The net change in fund balances will be reported to City Council through various documents including Quarterly Financial Reports, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), Budget Documents and other financial presentations. Funds that exceeded appropriations during the year or ended the year with a deficit fund balance are reported annually in the CAFR notes to the financial statements. (Information regarding the policy parameters and administration of City Reserves is contained in City Council Policy F-2.) Adopted - January 24,1994 Amended - February 27,1995 Corrected - February 26, 1996 Amended - May 13,1996 Amended - May 26,1998 Amended - August 8, 2000 Amended - May 8, 2001 Amended - April 23, 2002 Formerly F-10, F-11, F-12, and F-21 Amended - April 8, 2003 Amended - April 13, 2004 Amended - September 13, 2005 Amended - October 10, 2006 Amended - August 11, 2009 Amended - September 27, 2011 Amended - February 12, 2019