Part I is here. Here’s more of what the departments are proposing.
1. Defunding three vacant positions (Code Enforcement Officer III – Building, Code Enforcement Officer I Housing, and Zoning Code Enforcement Officer I) to meet our Budget Target.
2. Submittal of two Supplemental Requests to restore the Zoning Code Enforcement Officer I position and Code Enforcement Officer I – Housing position funded by modest fee increases.
Asking to add back – $78,000, Zoning Code Enforcement Officer
Fund one vacant Zoning Code Enforcement Officer 1 position. Staff in this position respond to counter, telephone and web inquiries, and complaints in regard to the City’s Zoning & Sign Ordinances. Staff perform field inspections to ensure development sites are improved consistent with approved plans and other agency approvals. The funding for this postion will be covered by a modest increase in a variety of permits issued by the Building Inspection Division. The revenue indicated below is one-half of the anticipated revenue increase. This position is necessary for increased response time to assisting the public at the counter, handling complaints, and the ability of the field personnel to do sweeps for illegal signs. Funding this position will prevent the reassignment of duties to the remaining two field personnel and to the Property Maintenance/Housing Inspectors.
Asking to add back – $78,000 Code Enforcement Officer
Fund one vacant Code Enforcement Officer I position. Persons in this position primarily inspect the exteriors of smaller buildings and conduct interior inspections of one and two unit buildings. This inspector would normally respond to complaints and conduct systematic inspections on one and two family buildings. They would also staff Neighborhood Resource Teams. Restoring this position will prevent delays in conducting systematic type inspections in the outer areas of the City.The funding for this postion will be covered by a modest increase in a variety of permits issued by the Building Inspection Division. The revenue indicated below is one-half of the anticipated revenue increase. A number of abandoned buildings are not being maintained and/or are being vandalized. It takes time to track down responsible parties for these buildings. These buildings have to be monitored for security/other issues. Our ability to do programmed inspections in the outer areas of the City will be greatly reduced. Our ability to be proactive and respond to requests from neighborhood groups/alderpersons to inspect targeted areas of the City will be reduced.
1. The Budget reflects the elimination of two positions, a Real Estate Agent 1 and a Small Business Development Specialist, both vacant positions
2. The Budget maintains the January 2011 staffing level including funds to replace two positions, a Real Estate Agent 3 and a Business Development Specialist
Asking to add back – $93,492, Special Project Manager
This request is for funding to create a Special Project Manager position in the Office of Business Resources to assist in the staffing of key strategic projects such as the development of the Capital East District, the Sustainability Center, and other targeted neighborhood development projects, primarily within Tax Increment Districts. Funding this position will also enable the other Business Development position to devote more time to the small business and entrepreneurship roles of the deleted Small Business Development Specialist. This position reflects the reduced use of consultants for these types of projects as reflected in the Captial Budget. We anticipate the a significant amount of work will be done on TIF-reimbursable projects such as the Capital East District.
Asking to add back – $9,000 Madison Marketing Materials
Madison lacks basic printed and online marketing materials that can be used for a variety of economic development and relationship building purposes. This request is for an increase in the advertising budget, primarily to cover printing costs for materials that can be written and developed in-house to reduce expense. We anticipate designing 1-2 pieces to start that can be used for a variety of purposes including: 1) promoting Madison as a place to do business 2) educating sister cities and diplomatic visitors on Madison 3) showcasing Madison as a destination and 4) marketing Madison to attract talent
Other Information (complete memo here)
OVERVIEW OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION’S 2012 BUDGET
The Economic Development Division’s 2012 proposed operating budget reduces the division’s expenditures by 6.5% relative to 2011 and it reduces our net budget amount by 11.2% relative to the 2011 budget.This chart shows the 2012 budget relative to the 2011 budget:
Summary by Major Item 2011 – Budget 2012 – Proposed Change
Permanent Salaries 1,325,506 1,234,904 (6.8%)
Fringe Benefits 563,339 524,834 (6.8%)
Purchased Services 43,840 47,030 7.3%
Supplies 28,800 24,640 (14.4%)
Inter-Departmental Charges 63,051 61,041 (3.2%)
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 2,204,536 1,892,449 (6.5%)
Less Inter-Agency Billings 737,749 749,965 1.7%
NET BUDGET 1,286,787 1,142,484 (11.2%)The net budget reduction is much greater than 5% because two positions were deleted before the budget target was calculated. The deleted positions included a vacant Real Estate Agent 1 (previously held by Dana Warren) and a Small Business Development Specialist (created in the 2011 budget, but not yet hired). Additional savings come from replacing existing positions due to an expected retirement and a resignation at a lower salary level and reducing the budget for supplies. The remaining budget gap can be covered through a slight increase in Inter-Agency billings.
Budget Highlights for EDD include:
• Maintaining the 2011 staffing level, including funding to replace Michael Gay in the Office of Business Resources and Jeff Ekola in the Office of Real Estate Services (underfilling)
• Reducing the supplies budget
• Proposing a supplemental increase to fund an additional staff person in the Office of Business Resources to act as Special Projects Manager, partially offset by assigning this position to TIF-related work, such working on the Capitol East District project.
• Proposing a supplemental increase in the advertising budget to facilitate the development of marketing materials for the CityWhile this budget is realistic for 2012, we are concerned that long-term overreliance on Inter-Agency Billings may be neither prudent nor sustainable.
Inter-Agency Billings are a legitimate way to reflect the true costs of work, particularly on capital projects. Inter-Agency Billings for EDD include:
• Services to other agencies (notably the CDA)
• Services to capital projects in other agencies (such as Parks or Engineering)
• Charges to TIDs for TID-related project work
• Charges to capital revolving accounts for staff costs (such as Housing Rehabilitation Services)Inter-Agency Billings as a percentage of the budget have grown in recent years as the following chart shows.
(see link)Relying heavily on Inter-Agency Billings will not be a sustainable or prudent strategy in the future for the following reasons:
1. We are charging capital funds intended for programs like business loans, home-buying or housing rehabilitation. As a result, fund balances in these revolving loan accounts are being depleted leaving lower balances for both staff costs and loans. Given the pressure on discretionary state and federal funds, Madison cannot rely on outside programs to replenish our accounts.
2. Our biggest source of interagency billings is to Tax Increment Districts. Charging for TID-related work is appropriate and useful to the city. However, the amount of TID-related work is unstable and fluctuates with the number of districts created and the amount of development that occurs. Relying on charging TIDs could also force the division to prioritize projects in TIDs leaving fewer staff resources for citywide projects or non-TID projects.
3. In tough budget times, it’s more important than ever for agencies to have strong incentives to work together. Further increasing the pressure on EDD to cover costs through Inter-Agency billings could create unnecessary conflict.Since the creation of the Office of Business Resources (formerly the Office of Business Assistance), Inter-Agency Billings have averaged approximately 30% of EDD’s budget. We are currently projecting that these billings will make up 40% of the 2012 budget. To be sustainable, Madison should attempt to bring this number back toward 30% or else invest general fund revenues in capital funds such as Housing Rehabilitation Services, Home Buy Fund, and Capital Revolving Fund as well as certain administrative areas (such as the CDA) in order to facilitate the sustained expensing of staff costs.
CITY CHANNEL
Absorbed in IT budget
1. Salary savings budgeted at 2.4% which will be achieved by managing vacancies as they occur.
2. Elimination of funding (potential lay-off) for one position of Administrative Support Clerk 2 on the City’s Administrative Support Team. This will result in a 25% reduction of services to City agencies who depend upon this assistance during periods of peak workload, particularly in the Clerk’s office during an upcoming election year.
3. Elimination of funding for one currently vacant position of Account Clerk 2 in the City’s Ambulance Accounting Section. This may have an effect on the timeliness of billings and collections for ambulance conveyance services.
1. Increased software maintenance costs for TeleStaff staff scheduling, MediaSite training and outreach software, and other products.
2. Elimination of funding for two MIS positions in applications development.
3. A partial shift away from hardware contracted maintenance to “time and materials” and staff provided maintenance.
4. Elimination of closed captioning service for City Channel.
1. A 2012 Operating Budget request that is within the base target amount of $2,170,736.
2. Elimination of a full-time Property Appraiser 2 position that became vacant in 2010 and was unfunded for 2011.
3. Elimination of funding for 2012 for a full-time Property Appraiser 3 position that became vacant in July 2011 due to retirement.
4. A reduction in mileage expenses of $11,800 from the 2011 funding level. This will be accomplished by requiring Assessment Technicians and Personal Property staff to use City vehicles instead of personal vehicles.
5. Funding for reclassification of a Property Appraiser 3 to a Property Appraiser 4 and a Property Appraiser 2 to a Property Appraiser 3. Also, funding to advance an Assessment Technician to a Property Appraiser 1 position.
6. A Supplemental Budget Request to restore funding for an hourly Adminstrative Clerk 1 position to the 2011 level. Funding was reduced to help meet the 5% reduction amount. (1st priority)
7. A Supplemental Budget Request to restore full funding for a Property Appraiser position being held vacant for 2012 in the base budget to meet the 5% reduction amount. The July 2011 retirement of a Property Appraiser 3 has left the appraisal staff short-staffed. This vacancy would be filled at the Property Appraiser 1 entry level. (2nd priority)
Asking to add back – $5800 Hourly Clerk
This is a request to restore funding for the position of Hourly Administrative Clerk 1. Funding was reduced in the 2012 base budget to help meet the 5% reduction. This request restores funding to the 2011 level.
Asking to add back – $70,300 Appraiser 1 position
This is a request to restore full funding for a Property Appraiser 1 position being held vacant in the base budget for 2012 to meet the 5% reduction amount.
1. In 2007, the Clerk-Treasurer was divided into separate Clerk and Treasurer agencies. Historical information is presented here for reconciliation purposes.
This service has now been incorporated within the budget of the Community Development Division (CDD, agency number 27). Please see CDD for more information.
HUMAN RESOURCES
No notes
Asking to add back – $7000 Advertising
Restore funding for Advertising that was deleted to meet 2012 budget target.
Asking to add back – $77,842 HR Analysis 2
Restore funding for the HRA 2 position that was deleted to meet 2012 budget target.
Asking to add back – $12,031 Hourly Salaries
Restore funding for Hourly Salaries that were deleted to meet 2012 budget target.
Asking to add back – $4643 Overtime Salaries
Restore funding for Overtime salaries that were deleted to meet 2012 budget target.
Asking to add back – $5,000 Tuition
Restore funding for Tuition reimbursement that was deleted to meet 2012 budget target.
Asking to add back – $5,000 Tuition
To increase funding for tuition reimbursement to meet current college credit costs.
Ok – that’s all I can get done this morning, got interrupted to run to WYOU to fix something to get us back on the air . . . not good when people can’t get their Democracy Now!
