Yuba City council OKs 2023/24 budget

The Yuba City City Council unanimously approved its annual operating budget alongside its capital improvement program and appropriations limit for the 2023/24 fiscal year on Tuesday night.

After a lengthy budget workshop on May 23, the city council revisited presentations regarding different aspects of the proposed budget during its regular meeting. Through its development and consideration, the city's Budget Ad Hoc Committee set to ensure that the 2023/24 operating budget reflected the city's goals in enhancing public safety, infrastructure and fiscal responsibility while also establishing a business-friendly environment.

As discussed during the budget workshop, the city's Department of Finance recommended various year-end transfers to be carried out by June 30 to ensure the General Fund, city reserves and various departments are adequately funded, in accordance with the provisions of the city's budget policy.

This includes ensuring that the Water and Wastewater operating funds have a 90-day reserve fund balance. Working capital beyond the 90-day requirement will be transferred to the respective capital improvement program fund for future rehabilitation and replacement projects for the utility, the city said.

In addition, the Department of Finance recommended a transfer of surplus funds to the general unallocated capital improvement program. The city's fiscal policy ensures that as of June 30 of each year, the General Fund has a Healthy Cities Reserve balance of no less than 15% of the subsequent fiscal year's appropriations, and anything in excess of that is split equally as a set aside for onetime capital infrastructure needs in the city's general unallocated capital improvement reserve fund and the city's pension stabilization trust fund.

City staff anticipate this transfer to fund the capital improvement reserve will be $728,000. City staff project that the city remains in a deficit position and unused reserves transferred into the general fund from the 2022/23 capital improvement program will be approximately $1.67 million after funding the Healthy Cities Reserve.

The operating budget includes a general fund payment of $500,000 from the city's Pension Stabilization Trust Fund for making an additional discretionary payment toward the Miscellaneous CalPERS Plan. In addition to the General Fund contribution from the Pension Stabilization Trust, the city's other funds, which have Miscellaneous CalPERS covered employees, would participate in making an additional discretionary payment as well. Their share would total $325,000 for water, wastewater, fleet and Sutter Animal Services departmental expenditures for a total discretionary payment of $825,000.

By approving the budget proposal, city council also authorized Finance Director Stephen Morrison to transfer up to $6.6 million of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds revenue loss allowance to the General Fund with $4.1 million being allocated to balancing the 2023/24 budget.

Public safety and public works

According to Morrison, 63% of the city's operating budget will be allocated toward public safety with 37% funding Yuba City Police Department services and 26% funding Yuba City Fire Department services.

During the budget workshop in May, Yuba City Fire Chief Jesse Alexander outlined a budget proposal to fund materials, supplies and equipment, personnel, capital acquisitions and capital improvements.

Between salaries, wages, supplies and services, the Yuba City Fire Department has been allocated over $12 million for fire operations with an additional $1.8 million for administrative operations.

In the city's budget resolution, Morrison is also directed to transfer any fire administrative reimbursement from the department's work on state and federal strike team assignments during

the current fiscal year into the Fire Equipment Capitalization fund from the General Fund. Accumulated funds will be brought before city council prior to their transfer to the appropriate fire capital acquisition operating account for appropriation and use.

With the operating costs of communications, information and analysis, community outreach, education, field operations, investigations, traffic enforcement and administration, around $20 million was approved for the Yuba City Police Department.

Yuba City's Public Works Department will be allocated 10% of the overall budget, Morrison said. Appropriated funds will go toward administrative and engineering costs as well as maintenance operations for city streets, facilities, electricity, recreational services and activities, parks, animal services, water, water treatment and other community services.

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

A few clouds. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Updated: June 8, 2023 @ 1:21 am

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