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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExcerpt from TOW adopted FY 2011-2012 Fiscal Policies FFIISSCCAALL AANNDD BBUUDDGGEETTAARRYY PPOOLLIICCIIEESS K. Performance Measures & Productivity Indicators - Where appropriate, performance measures and productivity indicators will be used as guidelines to measure efficiency, effectiveness, and outcomes of Town services. This information will be included in the annual budget process as needed. L. Contingent Appropriation - During the budget process, staff will attempt to establish an adequate contingent appropriation in each of the operating funds. The expenditure for this appropriation shall be made only in cases of emergency, and a detailed account shall be recorded and reported. The proceeds shall be disbursed only by transfer to departmental appropriation. All transfers from the contingent appropriation will be evaluated using the following criteria: • Is the request of such an emergency nature that it must be made immediately? • Why was the item not budgeted in the normal budget process? • Why can’t the transfer be made within the department? IV. REVENUES MANAGEMENT A. REVENUE DESIGN PARAMETERS. The Town will pursue the following optimum characteristics in its revenue system: • Simplicity - The Town, where possible and without sacrificing accuracy, will strive to keep the revenue system simple in order to reduce costs, achieve transparency, and increase citizen understanding of Town revenue sources. • Certainty - A knowledge and understanding of revenue sources reliability increases the viability of the revenue system. The Town will understand, to the best of its ability, all aspects of its revenue sources and their performance, as well as enact consistent collection policies to provide assurances that the revenue base will materialize according to budgets, forecasts, and plans. • Equity - The Town shall make every effort to maintain equity in its revenue system: i.e. the Town shall seek to minimize or eliminate all forms of subsidization between entities, funds, services utilities, and customer classes within a utility. • Administration - The benefits of a revenue source will not exceed the cost of collecting that revenue. Every effort will be made for the cost of collection to be reviewed annually for cost effectiveness as a part of the Town’s indirect cost and cost of service analysis. • Adequacy, Diversification and Stability - The Town shall attempt, in as much as is practical, to achieve a balance in its revenue system. The Town shall also strive to maintain a balanced and diversified revenue system to protect the Town from fluctuations in any one source due to changes in local economic conditions which adversely impact that revenue source. B. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. The following considerations and issues will guide the Town in its revenue policies concerning specific sources of funds: • Cost/Benefit of Incentives for Economic Development - The Town will use due caution in the analysis of any tax or fee incentives that are being considered to encourage economic development. A cost/benefit (fiscal impact) analysis will be performed as a part of the evaluation for each proposed economic development project. • Non-Recurring Revenues - One-time or non-recurring revenues will not be used to finance on-going operational costs. Non-recurring revenues will be used only for one- time expenditures such as long-lived capital needs or one-time major maintenance projects that occur infrequently. Non-recurring revenues will not be used for budget 306 FFIISSCCAALL AANNDD BBUUDDGGEETTAARRYY PPOOLLIICCIIEESS balancing purposes except to cover the one-time expenditures described above. • Investment Income - Earnings from investment of available monies, whether pooled or not, will be distributed to the funds in accordance with the equity balance of the fund from which monies were provided to be invested. • Property Tax Revenues - The Town shall endeavor to avoid a property tax by revenue diversification, implementation of user fees, and economic development. C. USER-BASED (DEMAND DRIVEN) FEES AND SERVICE CHARGES. For services that are demand driven and can be associated with a user fee or charge, the direct and indirect costs of that service will be offset by a fee where possible. The Town staff will endeavor to prepare a review of all fees and charges annually, but not less than once every three years, in order to ensure that these fees provide for, at minimum, full cost recovery of service. D. ENTERPRISE FUND RATES. Utility rates and rate structures for water and sewer services will be constructed to target full cost of service recovery. Annually the Town will review and adopt water and sewer utility rates and a rate structure that generates revenue sufficient to fully cover operating expenses, meet the legal restrictions of all applicable bond covenants, provide for an adequate level of working capital, and recover applicable general/administrative costs. The Solid Waste function will have rates that fully recover all costs and maintain an adequate balance. The Cemetery Fund will be structured to operate on lot sales and endowments. • General and Administrative (G&A) Charges – Where feasible, G&A costs will be charged to all funds for services of indirect general overhead costs, which may include general administration, finance, customer billing, facility use, personnel, technology, engineering, legal counsel, and other costs as deemed appropriate. These charges will be determined through an indirect cost allocation study following accepted practices and procedures. E. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES. As a general rule, intergovernmental revenues (grants) will not be utilized for on-going operating costs. Any potential grant opportunity will be examined to identify all costs related to matching and continuation of program requirements. Staff will focus on one-time grants to avoid long-term implications. If it is determined that accepting a grant with on-going cost conditions is in the interests of the Town, all the operating and maintenance costs must be included in the financial forecast and their ultimate effect on operations and revenue requirements be known. F. REVENUE MONITORING. Revenues as they are received will be regularly compared to budgeted revenues and variances will be investigated. This process will be summarized in the appropriate budget report. V. EXPENDITURE CONTROL A. Appropriations – The point of budgetary control is at the department level in the General Fund and at the fund level in all other funds. When budget adjustments among Departments and/or funds are necessary, they must be approved by the Town Council. B. Current Funding Basis - The Town shall operate on a current funding basis. Expenditures shall be budgeted and controlled so as not to exceed current revenues plus the planned use of fund balance accumulated through prior year savings. (The use of fund balance shall be guided by the Fund Balance/Retained Earnings Policy Statements.) 307