This is what the Board of Estimates will be discussing/asking questions about tonight. Basically, I have provided the “highlights” in the budget. It’s kind of the best place to start, digging into the numbers is difficult as there is minimal information provided. There are three parts to the budget. The summaries, the position details and the minor objects – some also include Capital Assets. They all can be found here if you want more info for 2013.
OVERVIEW
No materials on this really, but I”m guessing they will go over the summaries in the front of the budget to some extent.
1. A continuing reduction in the budgeted amounts for on-line legal services and book purchases by changing vendors and eliminating paper books for the law library.
2. Leaving vacant a 0.5FTE Legal Secretary 2 position.
3. Eliminating funding for a UW Law School Program – Prosecution Intern.
1. Funding for the continuation of existing services.
1. Funding for all current positions and positions unfunded in 2012 due to the smaller, temporary location of the Central Library.
2. Funding for Sunday hours at Pinney and Sequoya in January through April and at Central in September through December.
NOTE: Here’s the annoying part of these summaries . . . if you want to know if #2 is a cut or an increase you have to either do some quick homework (the budget has only been out since Tuesday) or ask at tonight’s meeting. The summaries are sometimes not very helpful. Pinney has Sunday hours Sept – May listed on the website. As does Sequoya.
1. Funding for the net operating expense (subsidy) of Monona Terrace, which is derived from the Room Tax. (See separate “RoomTaxFund” in the Special Fund Statements section of the budget.) The subsidy provided in the Executive Budget is $2,904,721, which includes a Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) of $325,700.
2. Funding of $109,608 for the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for specific convention marketing.
3. Deletion of 4.25 FTE authorized positions (1.25 FTE Clerk Typist 2 , 1.0 FTE Program Assistant 2 , 1.0 FTE AV Technician, and 1.0 FTE Operations Worker) that have been vacant and unfunded for several years.
4. Avoiding use of reserves to maintain current funding levels.
5. Establishing the authorized level of City subsidy for Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in 2013 and establishing the authorized permannt staff positions as adopted. All other amounts, except permanent salary and debt service, are provided as informational in order to determine the authorized subsidy level and may, in the course of the year, be adjusted by the City Finance Director to reflect income generated by Monona Terrace, if such adjustments do not increase the authorized level of subsidy or increase debt service.
ROOM TAX
This is in the special funds section of the budget. Its the first item.
(a) The Projected 2012 total room tax receipts estimate is based on two calendar quarters of actual revenue data.
(b) The 2013 estimate of debt service on the CDA lease revenue bonds supported by room tax receipts reflects anticipated refinancing of the 2002 bond issue in late 2012. This refinancing is expected to reduce debt service by approximately $65,000 in 2013 and $125,000 annually thereafter until the bonds are retired in 2020.
(c) In 2007, the City negotiated and entered into a 5-year renewable agreement with the GMCVB whereby future year contributions to the GMCVB to support destination marketing efforts will be equal to 20% of the actual prior year room tax collections. The agreement was renewed through December 31, 2014. Funding increases resulting from the agreement will be invested, for the purpose of increasing conventions and other events in Madison, in additional resources in the following five areas: convention sales, convention services, marketing, sports development and strategic planning.
(d) The amount transferred to the General Fund for general purposes in 2011 was the net of actual room tax revenues received, other budgeted expenditures and adjustments to required reserves, so that the balance of unreserved funds as of December 31 was $0. In 2012, any remaining funds will be distributed evenly for three purposes: 1) establish an emergency reserve fund for Monona Terrace; 2) increase funding for GMCVB; and 3) increase the transfer to the General Fund for general purposes. In 2013, any remaining funds will be transferred to the General Fund for general purposes.
(e) In 2012, funding for Madison Scouts and Capitol Sound was transferred to the General Fund, and the Planning Division Art and Performance contract amount was increased by $12,000. The Madison Arts Commission will consider the allocation of these funds among all of its annual arts grants awards.
(f) These funds will be used to promote conferences and/or enterprises that the City helps host or sponsor designed to provide education and training for Madisonians and also to promote Madison as a city of distinction and place of topical interest.
(g) This new funding will be used to develop the music scene in Madison. It includes funding for Dane Dances ($5,000), Summer Solstice festival ($25,000), a music video ($50,000 to be matched equally from other sources), and a study for a music festival similar to South by Southwest in Austin, TX ($20,000). This plan is subject to approval by the Madison Arts Commission.By the adoption of this budget, the City Council hereby confirms that it is the intention of the Council to commit the resources noted in the room tax fund for the purposes of 1) support of Monona Terrace operations, debt service and capital purchases; 2) support of the Greater Madison Convention
1. The goal of maintaining a minimum daily staffing level of 78. The staffing level assumes both the continuation of creative staffing methods developed by labor and management to optimize personnel resources and an absence level based on future projections and past experience.
2. Matching funding for the first SAFER Grant of 18 firefighter positions.
3. The second SAFER Grant of 18 firefighter positions to staff the new Far East Fire Station 13 planned to open in 2014. The grant revenue funds all of the salaries and fringe benefits for these positions; City funding is included for supplies, uniforms and medical services.
4. Funding to conduct a promotional process for Lieutenants.
5. Funding of $67,194 for WiFi cards and support/maintenance contracts for fire apparatus software.
6. Funding of $51,840 for parking spaces for personnel during the remodeling of Station 1.
7. Authorization for a summer/fall recruit class with no specific funding in the budget,as is typical of past practice.
8. An increase of $300 in the ambulance conveyance fee to $900 for residents and $1,000 for non-residents and an increase of $3.50 per mile (to $16.00 per mile). This represents the first increase since the 2009 budget. Ambulance revenues are included in the General Fund Revenues in the Summary section of the Budget.
9. Upon a vacancy occurring, any Fire Inspector position may be deleted and a non-commissioned position may be created.
1. Savings of $305,765 from eliminating the purchase of 11 of 22 police squad cars scheduled for replacement.
2. Savings of $170,000 from eliminating the purchase of 10 mid-sized sedans scheduled for replacement.
3. Savings of $58,200 from holding a vacant Fleet Technician position unfunded.
1. A plan to address Police Officer position vacancies and consequent staffing shortages by moving the annual preservice academy from spring to fall and allowing the Department to overhire for anticipated attrition in the following year. Funding of $256,911 is included for a one-time accelerated preservice academy for about eight Police Officers in spring 2013 necessitated by the delay in the year of implementation.
2. Funding of $11,390 to upgrade two Police Officer positions to Detective positions as required to fulfill the terms of the COPS grant.
3. Addition of $50,000 in overtime and fringe benefits to staff the additional workload in the Central District on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The Department will maintain the $30,000 Southwest Safety Initiative funds and reallocate the $50,000 Downtown Safety Initiative funds to citywide safety initiatives. These citywide funds are likely to be used primarily downtown, but will be available for any district with emerging issues.
4. Addition of $118,425 in overtime and fringe benefits to fund the full projected cost in 2013.
5. Addition of $50,000 for new equipment for the new police squad cars due to incompatibility of the old equipment with the new cars.
6. Addition of $100,000 as a first step in a multi-year effort to budget for Vacation Convert to Pay.
1. A decrease of $595,000 in anticipated revenues from the sale of recyclables to reflect expected market prices in 2013.
2. A $30,000 decrease in anticipated Appliance Sticker revenue due to retailer provided electronics recycling.
3. Restoration of funding for the following items:
-$184,525 to maintain general plowing standards at 3 inchesof snowfall.
-$78,533 to maintain service levels for sanding operations at night.
-$23,929 to maintain snow hauling services.
-$14,858 to continue the plowing of alleys and carriage lanes.
-$35,953 to continue overtime funding for clearing snow and ice from crosswalks.
4. Savings related to the following reductions:
-$58,544 from the reduction of leaf collection overtime.
-$19,168 from the elimination of Sunday hours at self help drop off sites.
-$20,072 from the elimination of overtime for the student move out in August.
-$19,168 from the closure of the South Point yard waste drop off site.
-$68,000 from the elimination of maintenance and operating funding for the Global Position Satellite Program.
1. Restoration of $35,000 for weekly median maintenance.
1. Increased charges of $1,442,210 (8.64%) from the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD).
2. An estimated 5% customer revenue increase and an overall revenue increase of 6.54%. These rates will be adjusted as more information becomes available regarding MMSD rates, volumes, and various other expense related items.
1. Funding for the street sweeping (100%) and leaf collection efforts (50%) of the Streets Division.
2. An employee sharing program with the Streets Division.
3. Funding for a University of Wisconsin study of Lake Wingra.
4. A 4% projected increase in customer revenue.
1. Continuation of existing services.
1. Restoration of $26,736 of seasonal funding for daily shelter cleaning and maintenance. Costs will be offset by a fee increase for shelter reservations, generating net revenues of $3,264.
2. Restoration of funding for the following:
– $46,988 for seasonal staff at East Parks, West Parks, Mall Concourse, and the Cemetery.
– $32,964 for Park Ranger Funding.
– $11,468 to prevent a 0.20 FTE Clerk-Typist 2 partial layoff.
3. Partial funding for the following:
– $20,048 of $21,348 requested to allow for WPCRC to operate at 2012 levels.
– $15,000 of $28,355 requested for hourly wages, plants and materials at Olbrich Gardens.
– $15,000 of $26,250 requested for portable toilets and winter restrooms.
– $15,000 of $22,968 requested for the Meet and Eat Program.
– $12,000 of $33,780 requested for the operation and maintenance of a new spray park.
4. Funding is not provided for the following requests:
– $108,130 to reduce salary savings from 3.0% to 2.0%.
– $51,244 to restore seasonal salaries to Forestry.
– $25,066 to restore funding for a vacant equipment Operator 3 position.
– $78,074 to restore funding for nine outdoor ice rinks: Garner, Goodman, Olbrich, Warner, HeritageHeights, HillingtonGreen, Nakoma, Westmorland, and Wexford parks. Regional rinks would be retained at Tenney, Elver, and Vilas.
– $57,236 to restore funding for one vacant Parks Maintenance Worker.
– $86,664 to provide attendant at Cypress Spray Park and lifeguards at seven beaches: Bernie’s, B.B.Clarke, Esther, James Madison, Olin, Spring Harbor, and Warner. Regional beaches at Olbrich, Vilas and Tenney would remain at current service levels.
5. Funding for street tree replacement has been moved to the capital budget.
6. Requested funding of $25,000 for the Youth Conservation Program with Operation Fresh Start is provided as part of the CDD budget.
1. Funding for a continuation of operation of all 72 holes at the Yahara, Odana, Monona and Glenway Courses.
