Every year there are “year end adjustments” to the City budget. And they spend the last of the “contingent reserve” which is usually a little over $1M that they set aside for unbudgeted emergencies. Lets see who went over budget this year and why . . . (psst, police ($1M) and fire ($2M) get more money as per usual)
This was discussed during the 3rd quarter budget update that I blogged here. The details of the resolution being discussed at Finance on Monday is here. There is about $3M being shifted around. As usual, police and fire, who have the biggest budgets, get even more money.
Increase Amounts
- Direct Appropriations:
- $300,000 from federal and state sources resulting from reimbursement for 2018 flood-related expenses. Appropriate these funds in the 2019 Contingent Reserve.
- Fire Department:
- $1,100,000 to offset overtime expenses and reduce salary savings.
- $800,000 to offset benefits associated with health insurance, retirements and overtime.
- Police Department:
- $985,000 for costs associated with non-annualized pay types.
- Streets Division:
- $400,000 for overtime costs associated with snow
- $700,000 for contractor snow removal.
Decrease Amounts
- Attorney:
- $125,000 surplus is the result of salary savings.
- Building Inspection:
- $140,000 is the result of salary savings.
- Economic Development:
- $135,000 is the result of salary savings.
- Engineering:
- $100,000 surplus is the result of charging time to other funding sources.
Library Fund
- Library: Appropriate $90,000 from the Library fund balance offset a decrease in the Department’s budgeted 2019 revenue.
They also do various other adjustments in the budgets $147,000 in interagency transfers and these other changes
- Public Health: Transfer $271,000 from benefits to salaries ($28,800), supplies ($26,000), purchased services ($33,450), and debt ($182,750).
- Stormwater Utility: Transfer $80,000 from salaries to supplies ($40,000) and purchased services ($40,000) for street-sweeping related expenditures; and, increase the trade-in allowance in the 2019 Street Sweeping Equipment capital project by $26,505 funded by trade-in allowance revenue.
- Water Utility: Increase transfer in from debt to fund $1,680,000 in projects through revenue bonds. These projects were budgeted to be funded by reserves, but will instead be funded by revenue bonds to reflect reductions in revenue received through the 3rd quarter. Projects affected include Water Utility Facility Improvements ($210,000), Water Hydrant Replacement Program ($510,000), Vehicle & Equipment Program ($368,000), Chlorinators & Floridators ($20,000), Water Meter Program ($171,000), New Water Valve Cut-Ins ($15,000), Unit Well Rehabilitation Program ($60,000), and Water Utility Facility Improvements – Olin Vehicle Storage Building Roof Repair ($325,000).
TO BE CLEAR:
Again, in order to not have my blogs posts or words be assigned things I do not intend, the point of this post, in case it is not clear is as follows:
- The city council every year debates they down to the penny, making sure they do not exceed levy limits. Every year there are great amendments to fund important community projects the get brushed aside because the city doesn’t have that $25,000 or $50,000 or $100,000 that is needed. They don’t have money to do priority projects in affordable housing, community programs etc. And yet . . . the police and fire and streets departments go over budget by millions and the city magically finds money to fund those expenses. This makes the council budget process seem a little absurd when put in context. Can they really not find the money they need? Or do they not have the staff support to sort it all out? Or have they created policies that prevent them from achieving their priorities? Or? I’ve been watching this for years and it always seems so silly in the end.
- Why can’t other departments just go over budget and say “oops” and make the finance department figure it out?
- Can’t the police department ($84M) and fire department ($59M) budget more appropriately? What if Community Development ($16M), or Civil Rights ($2M), or IT ($7M), or Planning ($4.4M) had an extra million or two dollars? What could they do with that? What community programs and civil rights work could be done? Every city meeting could be audio or video recorded. Neighborhoods could get more support when developers come knocking? Or?
- Seems like the system is rigged, once again. Seems like there should be a way to change this, but the same thing happens every year.
