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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1998 1118 CC REG ITEM 10HTO: FROM DATE AGENDA REPORT CITY OF MOORPARK Honorable City Council 1, T r;l CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting Of 11_ I T- , -I& ACTION: �efef '`4 1u bUr4 je f " C�iec�cfe�i S��e�F 1ti, ad✓er-t1se1 BY :,- 'V(- fa r,.ei�pi;�1Yv�F ,�tS Deborah S. Traffenstedt, City Clerk November 12, 1998 (CC Meeting of 11/18/98) SUBJECT: CONSIDER ESTABLISHMENT OF A FISCAL YEAR 1999 -2000 BUDGET CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE BACKGROUND Councilmember Perez has requested that an item be included on the agenda for City Council consideration of a Fiscal Year (FY) 1999- 2000 Budget Citizens Advisory Committee to provide recommendations to the Council related to the Budget. The role of the Committee could be to consider the need for additional revenue and propose potential new revenue sources and expenditure reductions. RECOMMENDATION Direct staff as deemed appropriate. DST cAstafirpts\=981118committee 0014-114 9 TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: 000 ITEM 10 , AGENDA REPORT CITY OF MOORPARK The Honorable City Council Bernardo Perez, Councilmember11 November 17, 1998 (CC Meeting of November 18, 1998) Consider Establishment of a Fiscal Year 1999 -2000 Citizens Budget Advisory Committee DISCUSSION: Task Force I am recommending that the City Council appoint a citizens committee to review the City's General Fund budget and related fiscal issues. I previously requested this and urge the Council to proceed now so that such committee can make its recommendations prior to Council consideration of the fiscal year 1999/2000 budget. The City of Thousand Oaks appointed such a task force, which adopted the following Mission Statement; "To consider, from the citizen's point of view, ways in which the City of Thousand Oaks gathers and spends its money, with an emphasis on whether community needs are being met at a reasonable price, and to examine what current and potential revenue sources are available." The complete text of their Mission Statement, Plans and Goals is attached. In order to promote diversity on the committee, I suggest each member of the City Council appoint three (3) people for a total of fifteen (15) members. The committee should also be for a specific duration so that they focus on the items directed by the Council and complete their recommendations by April, 1999. The specific items of concern to me are: 1. To recognize that the City's General Fund Reserve of about $6,000,000 is all essentially encumbered as loans for various purposes. However, the City Council should approve M: \ccagenda \taskforce 111898 1 WD3gj6L a program to repay the General Fund. This should be done prior to the work of the proposed citizen task force. 2. There should be a more comprehensive and direct relationship between the City Council goal setting process and the adopted budget. The budget should reflect the Council's established priorities. 3. The Council should adopt a formal policy on the amount of the General Fund Reserve. Historically, City Councils have informally set it at one hundred percent of the current General Fund annual revenue but haven't been specific on how much of the reserve is to be unrestricted and how much can be loaned for other purposes. 4. The City's capital improvements have for the most part not included any General Fund monies. Is this likely to change in the future? How does this affect the need for City Hall improvements and community swimming pool. 5. The City operates at less than optimum staffing levels. What impact does this have on service levels and accomplishment of priorities. 6. The relatively low property and sales taxes received by the City and the effect past and future (vehicle license fees) State diversion of historical City revenues have on the City's General Fund. 7. A trend to have other City funding sources supplement the General Fund. It's important for the general public to review the City's budget and see first hand how conservatively the City manages its finances and to provide the Council with recommendations on this important topic. This committee can help achieve this objective. Attachment M: \ccagenda \taskforce 111898 2 lmwl�A COMMUNTTY BUDGET TASK FORCE SECTION III - MISSION STATEMENT, PLANS AND GOALS Mission Statement At one of its first meetings, the Community Budget Task Force (CBTF) developed a NEssion Statement as follows: "To consider, from the citizen's point of view, ways in which the City of Thousand Oaks gathers and spends its money, with an emphasis on whether community needs are being met at a reasonable price, and to examine what current and potential revenue sources are available. Further, to pursue recommendations to the City Council concurrent with the aforementioned criteria." In order to accomplish the aim of the Mission Statement, the CBTF set its initial plans as follows: • To gain an understanding of the City's financial structure and have input into its budgeting process. • To gain, by participation of citizen- members and fiuther input from interested citizens, a perception of the wishes of the residents of Thousand Oaks with regard to funding various aspects of the City's budget. 7 AAA !2 Ojq n a . . 0 • To set priorities for funding recommendations based on the input from the above activities. • To define which City services are essential and which are discretionary. • To develop a policy statement as to the required essential services and minimum accepted service levels. Additionally, the Task Force set as goals, within its limited operational time frame, the following: • To support the City Council's objective of achieving a balance budget, with no reduction in operating reserves. • To review the following: operating and capital improvement budgets, city services and related costs; and debt retirement options. • To explore areas of concern as expressed by the individual Task Force members as these concerns relate to the financial well -being of our City. • To establish and maintain adequate capital reserves for all accounts. • To review the 1996 -97 Budget two page pamphlet now available to the citizens of Thousand Oaks to determine if it is a user friendly document, readily understandable regarding the financial status of all monies administered by the City, including its Redevelopment Agency, Enterprise Funds and Civic Arts Plaza. (See Appendix F) H.