North Port: A timeline for wrapping up the City Manager investigation, canceling trick or treat at City Hall and actions today

 

 

 

North Port: A timeline for wrapping up the City Manager investigation, canceling trick or treat at City Hall and actions today

 

Commissioner Debbie McDowell

 

Here’s my summary of today’s budget discussion http://cityofnorthport.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php… Starts at the 1 hour 12 minute mark.

Before I give you my summary about today’s discussion, I want to give you a mini recap of how we got to where we are. We had budget workshops in June and July and the proposed budget was prepared using projections given in March (pre-COVID). During the June and July workshops, Commission made approximately $265,000 in cuts to the proposed budget with the goal to have a lower millage rate. In August, the City received dismal projections from the State which considerably lowered the revenue projections. The result of those projections resulted in approximately $2.5M loss in sales tax revenues for the General Fund. Approximately $560,000 loss in gas tax and sales tax revenues for Road and Drainage and approximately $3M loss in Surtax revenue. The reality is COVID has families and the City in many ways — the ripple affects are starting to rear it’s ugly head. IF if people aren’t working, IF people don’t spend money, IF we don’t have visitors to the area, it affects city’s budgets >>> stepping off my soap box<<< Now for the action we took today —

• We instructed staff to update the Capital Improvements Project to run city water and sewer to I-75 along Sumter Blvd. The funding is there and the City will be reimbursed by the developers thru future agreements.

• We removed an existing position in the Finance Dept for a Management Analyst resulting in $67,000 in savings. This position has been vacant for almost a year.

• Each General Fund department is to adjust and analyze their employment vacancy rate and reduce their budget accordingly

• The City-wide Fee Schedule will be increased by 1%, except for EMS and Utilities, to offset the costs of credit card fees. I did not go along with this consensus because I believe only the credit card users should be paying for the convenience of using a credit card, NOT everyone else.

• We directed staff to freeze Commission salaries for FY 20/21 resulting in approximately $5,600 savings.

• We completely cancelled Trick or Treat at City Hall this year, resulting in approximately $12,000 savings

• Parks transition is to begin June 1, 2021.

Conversations/negotiations are ongoing with the County. It was decided to remove approximately $464,000 in personnel costs (General Fund) with the understanding that a budget amendment could be made, if needed. The Commission left the equipment (Surtax Funds) in place since we would have to start the procurement process in January. If we don’t need to purchase all the equipment, the money can be used elsewhere.

• We also asked all the departments to look at their budget to see what miscellaneous expenses can be reduced or cut (supplies, uniforms, training, food, advertising, etc)

• The staff suggested recommendations to defund the list of expenditure items was removed all items were put back in the budget. We need to see what affect today’s cuts will have on using fund balance. Staff will prioritize the list removing items that do not affect the level of service. There is a full understanding we will make additional cuts at the September 3 budget hearing. Our goal is to have the budget millage rate at 3.8240 instead of the not-to-exceed rate of 3.8735.

• I tried and failed to get a consensus to remove some of the CIP smaller projects that use Surtax funding vs using fund balance to make up the project shortfalls that use Surtax. I maintain, failing infrastructure is expensive to repair/replace and we need to ensure the funds are available for those emergencies. Surtax is very restrictive with how it can be spent, but it can be spent on infrastructure.

 

In other business…
— A motion was made to put a deadline on the City Manager Lear’s investigation report to be completed and a copy of the report given to Commission by September 4. Vote 3-2 with Luke and McDowell dissenting. I dissented because an investigation should not be rushed in any way shape or form – the investigation should be complete and thorough for EVERYONE’s benefit. Starts at the 5H 12M mark.

— We gave the Acting City Manager direction to install sidewalks at the Senior Center using the project savings from the parking lot project that was just completed. 11 minute mark