TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Steve S. Charelian, Finance Director
Libby Bretthauer, Senior Financial Analyst
Marcelo Serrano, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consider Adoption of Budget Policies and Provide Direction on Upcoming Budget Process (Finance Director Charelian).
a) APPROVE
b) DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council: 1) adopt Budget Policies for Fiscal Year 2020-2021, and 2) provide direction on the upcoming budget cycle commencing in January 2020.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
In 2016, the City transitioned to a two-year budget cycle. The purpose of the two-year budget is to encourage long-range planning and allow for greater emphasis on management, service delivery, program evaluation, and monitoring. Other benefits include reallocation of human resources to more value-added activities other than budget preparation, and a reduction in staff time spent on budget development in the second budget year.
A key component of this process has been the adoption of Budget Policies to help guide development of the budget. These policies, along with the Budget Calendar, drive all activity and emphasis during the budget process.
In addition to the customary budget preparation, in 2018, the City embarked on a significant project to implement a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This monumental effort requires significant staff resources to ensure completion of the project on time and within budget, with one of the most important aspects being the conversion of data from the old system to the new.
DISCUSSION:
Budget Policies
As we commence the process for a new budget cycle in 2020, budget policies will provide the framework from which staff will develop the budget for Ci...
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