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Operating Budget Policy <br />Purpose <br />Thepurpose of the City’s Operating Budget Policy is to ensure that the City's annual operating <br />expenditures are based on a stablestream of revenues. The policies are designed to encourage a long-term <br />perspective to avoid pursuing short-term benefits at the expense of futureimpacts. Theintent of this policy <br />is to enable a sustainable level of services, expenditures, property tax levies, and other revenue sources <br />including fee revenue. <br />Scope <br />This policy applies most critically to those programs funded through the property tax, as fluctuations in <br />this revenue source can have substantial impacts. <br />Policy <br />The City will pay for all current expenditures with current revenues. The City will avoid <br />budgetary procedures that balance current expenditures at the expense of meeting future years' <br />expenses. Specifically, accruing future year's revenues shall be prohibited. Practices to be <br />avoided include postponing expenditures, rolling over short-term debt, and drawing down <br />reserves beyond targeted levelsto balance the operating budget. <br />The operating budget will provide for adequate maintenanceand periodic replacementof capital <br />equipment. <br />Aproportionate share of the administrative and general government costs incurred by the general <br />operating fund of the City shall be borne by all funds as is practicable. Such administrative <br />charges shall be predetermined and budgeted annually <br />New programs or proposals shall be reviewed in detail by City staff and both a policy and fiscal <br />analysis shall be prepared prior to budgetary inclusion, and provided to the City Council for <br />review <br />Arequest for a program or service expansion or reduction must be supported by an analysis of <br />public policy implications of the change <br />Arequest for new personnel must be supported by an analysis demonstrating the need for the <br />position based on workload measures, comparative staffing levels, and City anddepartment <br />priorities <br />A request for purchase of new (additional) capital equipment must be supported by an analysis <br />demonstrating that the value of the benefits of the equipment is greater than the cost ofthe <br />equipment over its expected life <br />As specified under City Code section 103.05 all general purchases and/or contracts in excess of <br />$5,000 must be separately approved by the Council <br />In recognition of industry-recommended budgeting practices, the City has established the following <br />budget controls: <br />The City will maintain a budgetary control system toensure adherence to the budget <br />90 <br /> <br />