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HomeMy WebLinkAbout029826 RES - 05/14/2013RESOLUTION AMENDING FINANCIAL POLICIES ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION 029521 AND PROVIDING FINANCIAL POLICY DIRECTION ON PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL BUDGETS. WHEREAS, the City of Corpus Christi has a commitment to citizens as expressed in its Mission Statement: "Provide exceptional service to enhance the quality of life "; and WHEREAS, financial resources are budgeted to fulfill this commitment; and WHEREAS, it has been the City's goal to rebuild the General Fund balance to acceptable levels, a goal which was expressly stated in past policies with targets for accomplishing that goal; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted a Financial Policy in January 1997 by Resolution No. 022828, reaffirmed the Financial Policy in June 1997 by Resolution No. 022965, modified the Financial Policy in July 1997 by Resolution No. 022992, adopted a new Financial Policy in May 1998 by Resolution No. 023319; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in May 1999 by Resolution No. 023657; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in May 2000 by Resolution No. 024044; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in May 2001 by Resolution No. 024455; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in May 2002 by Resolution No. 024863; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in April 2003 by Resolution No. 025280; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in April 2004 by Resolution No. 025737; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in May 2005 by Resolution 026265; reaffirmed the Financial Policy in January 2006 by Resolution 026605; amended the Financial Policy in April 2008 by Resolution 027683; amended the Financial Policy in May 2009 by Resolution 028176; amended the policy in May 2010 by Resolution 028609; amended the policy in July 2011 by Resolution 029128; and amended the policy in May 2012 by Resolution 029521. WHEREAS, as a result of those policies, the City achieved its previous goal for the General Fund balance and desires now to articulate a new strategy to maintain a revised General fund balance and to utilize any surplus balance to provide for enhanced financial stability in future years, and also desires to establish similar goals for fund balances of the Internal Service Funds, Enterprise Funds, the Combined Utility Reserve Fund, and Debt Service Reserve Funds; and WHEREAS, this policy provides an essential guide to direct financial planning and to maintain and strengthen the City's bond rating; and WHEREAS, it has been the City's practice to reaffirm its financial policy or to adopt new or modified policy annually in conjunction with preparation of the budget. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: The Financial Polices adopted by Resolution 029521 are amended to read as follows: 024826 INDEXED 2 Section 1. Development / Effective Date of Financial Policy. This Financial Policy reaffirms and amends the financial policies adopted each year by the City Council since 1997. This Financial Policy is made part of the City Comprehensive Policy Manual. The City Manager is directed to prepare each annual proposed budget in accordance with this policy. The City Council is prepared to make expenditure reductions that may be necessary to comply with this policy. This Financial Policy remains in effect and applies to future annual budget preparation processes until amended by City Council resolution. Section 2. Current Revenues Equal / Exceed Current Expenditures. Current General Fund operating revenues will equal or exceed current budgeted expenditures. Section 3. Committed General Fund Balance / Working Capital. To ensure that current and future services or operations are not severely impacted by any economic slowdowns, emergencies, natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances, adequate financial resources will be set aside in the General Fund committed fund balance. Accordingly it is the goal of the City Council to build and maintain a reserve in the General Fund committed fund balance which totals at least ten (10 %) percent and up to 25% of total annual General Fund appropriations, exclusive of any one -time appropriations. At the end of the fiscal year, upon completion of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the amount calculated to be at least 10% up to 25% of total annual General Fund appropriations will be Committed for Major Contingencies, and set up in a separate account. The City Manager shall report on the status of compliance with this twenty -five (25 %) percent policy at least annually as part of the budget process. Uncommitted fund balance in excess of the ten percent policy requirement may be recommended for expenditure by the City Manager. Such expenditures shall be subject to the normal appropriations and expenditure approval process applicable to all other funds. Finally, it is noted that extraordinary situations may arise in which the timing of external actions out of the City's control may require the use of the committed funds. The City Manager shall note these situations to the City Council as soon as the information is known. Amounts that can be used for specific purposes pursuant to constraints imposed by formal action of the City Council will be reported as committed fund balance. Those committed amounts cannot be used for any other purpose unless the City Council removes or changes the specified use by taking the same type of action it employed to previously commit those amounts. Committed fund balance will also incorporate contractual obligations to the extent that existing resources in the fund have been specifically committed for use in satisfying those contractual requirements. Section 4. Other Committed Fund Balances. 4.1 Internal Service Funds. To ensure that current and future services or operations are not severely impacted by any economic slowdowns, emergencies, natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances, it is the goal of the City Council to build and maintain a reserve in each Internal Service Fund of at least three percent (3 %) of the annual Internal Service Fund appropriations, exclusive of any one -time appropriations. 3 This subsection only applies to the MIS Internal Service Fund; Stores Internal Service Fund; Engineering Services Internal Service Fund; and Maintenance Services Internal Service Fund. 4.2 Group Health Plans. It is a goal of the City to maintain a fund balance in the group health plans to (1) pay any associated administrative costs and claims run -out based upon the most recent actuarial study in the event the plan ceases or a change in the third party administrator is made; and to (2) cover any differences between revenues budgeted to cover projected claims expense for the fiscal year and the attachment point calculated at 110% of projected claims expense as a catastrophic reserve. 4.3 General Liability Fund. It is a goal of the City to maintain a fund balance in the General Liability Fund (1) to fund long -term liabilities, incurred but not reported expenses (IBNR), and a risk margin for the adverse development of claims as determined by the actuarial recommendation and reflected in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report; (2) to provide additional protection against significant unexpected claims experience in the fiscal year as a catastrophic reserve equaling 25% of the average incurred costs of claims experience over the prior five -year period; and (3) to protect against significant cost increases in the fiscal year for purchased insurance coverage premiums equaling 25% of the cost for purchased insurance over the prior year. 4.4 Worker's Compensation Fund. It is a goal of the City to maintain a fund balance in the Worker's Compensation Fund (1) to fund Tong -term liabilities, incurred but not reported expenses (IBNR), and a risk margin for the adverse development of claims as determined by the actuarial recommendation and reflected in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report; and (2) to protect against significant unexpected claims experience in the fiscal year as a catastrophic reserve equaling 25% of the average of incurred costs of claims experience over the prior five -year period. 4.5 Enterprise Funds. To ensure that current and future services or operations are not severely impacted by any economic slowdowns, emergencies, natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances, it is the goal of the City Council to build and maintain a reserve in each of the Enterprise Funds of at least twenty -five percent of the annual Enterprise Fund appropriations, exclusive of any one -time appropriations. This subsection only applies to Water, Wastewater, Gas, Stormwater, Airport, and Marina fund balances. 4.6 Debt Service Reserve Fund. The City will strive to maintain a debt service fund balance for bonds, certificates of obligation, tax notes, and other debt instruments of at least two percent (2 %) of the annual debt service appropriation(s) for the fiscal year; provided, however, this requirement shall comply with the provision of Treasury Regulation 1.148 -2(f) which limits the amount of reserve funds that may secure the payment of debt service on bonds. Section 5. Property Tax Rate for Operations and Maintenance. Each proposed annual budget shall be prepared assuming that the City will be adopting a tax rate 4 necessary to be in compliance with Section 2 above. Full consideration will be given to achieving the "effective tax rate" for maintenance and operations when assessed property values decrease, and full consideration will be giving to maintaining the current tax rate when assessed properties values increase, as long as the tax rate does not exceed the "rollback" rate (which is the rate that allows the City to raise the same amount of maintenance and operation revenue raised in the prior year with an 8% increase.) Section 6. Funding Level from General Fund for Street Operations. City Council approved Resolution #029634 on September 18, 2012 to declare its intent to establish a street user fee for implementation in Fiscal Year 2013 -2014. Section 4 of this resolution expressed an intent to preserve the funding level of the Street Department at the percentage of the Street Fund's budget in Fiscal Year 2012 -2013 relative to the General Fund. Excluding a decrease in General Fund revenues, the percentage of the Street Fund's budget relative to the General Fund will neither go below that of Fiscal Year 2012 -2013 nor go below the dollar equivalent if General Fund revenues increase. That funding level equates to 5.24% of the General Fund revenue or $10,818,730, whichever is greater. Section 7. Priority of City Services. The City Council recognizes the need to provide public services which support the continued growth of the local economy and personal income growth to insure an adequate financial base for the future. Section 8. Operating Contingencies. The City Manager is directed to budget at least $200,000 per year as an operating contingency as part of General Fund expenditures in order to further insulate the General Fund unreserved fund balance from unforeseen circumstances. The City Manager is directed to budget similar operating contingencies as expenditures in enterprise, internal service, and special revenue funds of the City. Section 9. Multi -year Budget Model. Whereas many of the City's fiscal goals require commitment and discipline beyond the one year considered within the City's fiscal year, the City will also consider adoption of business plans necessary for the accomplishment of City short term or long term goals. These business plans will be presented and recommended to the City Council in the proposed annual operating budget and shall be used for development of future budget recommendations as necessary to accomplish these goals. The City shall also maintain business plans and/or rate models for enterprise operations. Preparation of annual budget will include model for years two and three, with specific revenue and expenditure assumptions. Section 10. Cost Recovery. The City may recover costs in the General Fund by charging other funds for administrative costs incurred to support their operations. The City shall attempt to pursue and maintain a diversified and stable revenue stream for the General Fund in order to shelter finances from short term fluctuations in any one revenue source. In order to meet the requirements outlined herein, every effort will be made to base rates on a cost of service model so costs incurred for certain services are paid by the population benefiting from such services. 5 Section 11. Quarterly Financial Reporting and Monitoring. The City Manager shall provide interim financial performance reports and updates to the City Council on a quarterly basis. These interim reports must include detailed year to date revenue and expenditure estimates, as well as explanations for major variances to budget. The format of the quarterly report must be relatively consistent with the adopted budget. Section 12. Use of Nonrecurring Revenue. The City shall endeavor to use nonrecurring revenue to fund one -time expenditures. Nonrecurring revenue may include items such as sale of fixed assets, court settlements, or revenue collection windfalls. Section 13. Debt Management. The City Manager shall adhere to the Debt Management Policy adopted by Resolution 028902 on December 14, 2010, and reaffirmed by Resolution 029321 on December 13, 2011. Sectionl4. Capital Improvement Plans /Funding. The annual Capital Improvement Plan shall follow the same cycle as the Operating Budget. As part of the annual capital budget process, the City shall update its short and long range capital improvement plans. For the three -year short term plan, projects include any projected incremental operating costs for programmed facilities. The long range plan, extends for an additional seven years, for a complete plan that includes ten years. Short -term plan projects must be fully funded, with corresponding resources identified. As part of a concerted effort to reduce debt levels and improve financial flexibility, the City shall pursue pay -as- you -go capital funding where possible. Section 15. Expenditures. Within the limitation of public service needs, statutory requirements and contractual commitments expenditures included in the operating budget shall represent the most cost efficient method to deliver services to the citizens of Corpus Christi. Efforts to identify the most cost efficient method of service delivery shall continue during the fiscal year after the operating budget is adopted and may be implemented during the fiscal year as necessary and of benefit to the public." Section 16. Zero Based Budgeting type of process. To prepare the City's operating budget, the City shall utilize a Zero Based Budgeting type of process. The staff shall be accountable for utilizing a Zero Based Budgeting type of process comprehensively for all department budgets. ATTEST: Armando Chapa City Secretary OF CORPUS CHRISTI Nelda Martinez Mayor Corpus Christi, Texas l 3 The above resolution was passed by the following vote: Nelda Martinez Kelley Allen Rudy Garza Priscilla Leal David Loeb Chad Magill Colleen McIntyre Lillian Riojas Mark Scott 029826