HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.A. FY 2013 Budget Discussion Introduction, Process and Scheduling 1
July 27, 2012
To: Mayor and City Council � /1
From: Mark McNeill, City Administrator WA
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Julie A. Linnihan, Finance Director
Topic: 2013 Budget Work Session Discussions
Tuesday, July 31 2012
Action Sought
To provide an overview of the 2013 budget process and provide budget information to Council for
discussion at the first of the 2013 budget work sessions.
Background:
Since June, City staff has addressed many budget issues specific to the 2013 budget and property tax
levy. This budget process will continue into December per the following schedule:
• July 31 August 13 & August 20 — Planned budget work sessions
• September 4 — Presentation of preliminary budget and levy
• Before September 15 — Certification of preliminary levy
• September — November — Refinement of budget
• December 4 — Presentation and Adoption of final levy and adoption of 2013 budget.
The Council will begin the review the departmental budgets, request for specific actions such as
Personnel and Projects, and updates as to changes to departments and business units related to
restructuring and re- assignment of departmental line items, when changes have been made per prior
year budget decisions. The presentation Tuesday evening will also include several items that have been
requested for discussion per the Council's request. These items are attached on a separate cover sheet,
with details following the summary sheet. The Capital Improvement Plans and have been preliminary
presented by the Engineering staff, and updates to the equipment, buildings, facilities and information
technology programs will be discussed at upcoming work sessions. These internal charges impact many
of the departmental line items with in the individual budgets.
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As the 2013 budgets are reviewed, a number of the following areas impacted the 2013 budget
estimates:
• Personnel costs (wages) have been increased from the 2012 rates, by 2 % per union agreements,
as well as application of a draft, updated wage schedule for Non -Union wages.
• Health insurance estimates provide for an estimated increase of possibly 15 % over the 2012
rates. The calculations used to determine the 2013 budget amounts for health insurance have
been modified to provide a more precise budget determination, based on historical actual
payments, rather than budgeted history.
• Building rental rates have been held flat to the 2012 levels.
• IT charges to departments reflect an updated IT schedule, which allows for recently identified
technology needs that will require multi -year planning and funding.
• Equipment rates and the composition of the equipment schedule have been scrutinized by City
staff, and the replacement values, length of life as well as updates for initial cost of equipment
due to emissions and other EPA standards have been implemented. This has resulted in some
increases in departmental equipment rates, and when necessary the rates will be incrementally
adjusted over a multi -year approach, rather than applying a large increase in the 2013 budget
cycle.
• As discussed during the recent Capital Planning discussions, many of the projects that are
proposed through Engineering and Public Works budgets are coordinated with the County and
other agencies, which can result in variances from year to year comparisons, dependent upon
the amount of the projects that are funded by the outside agencies, and staff time is allocated
dependent upon the needs and progress of the projects.
• EDAC has recently met to request an increased amount of funding, at the $150,000 level, to
proceed with a community fagade program, an enhancement of the downtown project. This will
be discussed during the EDA portion of the budget presentation.
• Transit issues and a newly planned transit station will be reviewed and discussed at this work
session.
Staff will be working with both State and County entities to obtain the information needed to provide a
preliminary levy amount, property tax rate, and estimated impact to properties in the City. To date, this
information has not been received, and as soon as this information is received it will be placed into a
budget presentation format, and routed to Council for information and discussion. This will allow for the
preparation of the preliminary budget and levy to be presented on Tuesday, September 4 2012. After
this information if reviewed and approved, it will be routed to Scott County and the State for the
preparation of the Truth in Taxation process