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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFiscal Year 2012/13 Year-End Budget Adjustments and PreliminDept, ID FN 14-003 Page 7 of 3 Meeting Date: 2/18/20 4 CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH REQUEST FOR, CITY COUNCIL ACTION MEETING DATE: 2/18/2014 SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members. SUBMITTED BY: Fred A. Wilson, City Manager PREPARED BY:; Lori Ann Farrell, Director of Finance SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 201.2/13 Year -.End Budget Adjustments and Preliminary Unaudited General Fund Designations Statement of Issue: At the January 31, 2014, Strategic Planning Session, the Finance Department provided an update regarding the preliminary, unaudited Fiscal Year 2012/13 Year -End General Fund Budget performance results for the year ended September 30, 2013. City Council authorization is requested to create a Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund to properly track and monitor expenses for a net -neutral impact; implement the recommended year-end estimated Fund Balance allocation of $1.8 .million; and designate remaining FY 2012/13 General Fund Balances in order to finalize the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), subject to final certification by the City's independent, external auditors. Financial Impact: This action will result in an additional $1.0 million deposit into the Infrastructure Fund to help finance the Senior Center Project, and the transfer of appropriations and expenses from the General Fund to a new discrete Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund for a net - neutral fiscal impact, subject to final approval and certification by the City's independent, external auditors. In addition, the deposit of an estimated $800,O00 into the Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund is recommended to begin a six -year plan to properly fund long-term workers' compensation liabilities. Lastly, this action also authorizes the reallocation of existing General Fund Balances to items identified in Attachment 1 for a neutral fiscal impact. Recommended Action: A) Approve the creation of a new Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund and transfer actual appropriations: and expenses incurred in FY 2012/13, currently totaling $5.8 million, from the General Fund to the Workers' Compensation Internal 'Services Fund (551) for a. net -neutral budget ;impact. B) Approve the assignment of the FY 2012/13 General Fund estimated year-end fund balance. of $1.8 million as.follows: 1. Transfer $1.0 million to the Infrastructure Fund (Fund 314) for the Senior Center Project; and, 2. Deposit $800,000 to the Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund (Fund 551). C) Approve the allocation of General Fund Balance designations as indicated in Attachment 1. Item 3. - I FIB -- Dept. ID FN 14-003 Page 2 of 3 Meeting Date: 2/18/2014 Alternative Action(s): Do not approve staffs recommendation and provide alternative direction. Analysis: Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund California Workers' Compensation Law provides benefits to employees for work -related illness or injury. Benefits may include payment for medical treatment, salary continuation, Total Temporary Disability (TTD) benefits, and permanent disability benefits. The City is self -insured for its workers' compensation program and is liable for all costs up to $1 million per claim. All costs are paid for by the City as the employer. These costs are currently paid out of the General Fund budget; however, all Funds contribute into the General Fund to cover these costs via workers' compensation rates. As discussed at the January 31, 2014, Strategic Planning Session, actual workers' compensation expenses have been growing significantly from $4.5 million in FY 2004/05 to the FY 2012/13 actual cost of $5.8 million — a 24% increase. As a result, City Council approval is requested to create a separate Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund and the transfer of FY 2012/13 appropriations and expenses totaling $5.8 million from the General Fund to the new Fund. This will provide proper tracking, planning, and transparency of all expenses. Further, this action is fiscally neutral, yet more transparent as all costs are discretely and separately accounted for within a separate fund in the City's financial statements. General Fund Year -End Fund Balance Allocations For FY 2012/13, which ended on September 30, 2013, preliminary, unaudited figures reflect a total of approximately $194.8 million in recurring General Fund revenue and $3.9 million in one-time revenue for a total of $198.7 million. Of this amount, a significant portion is needed to support the approximate $196.9 million in General Fund expenditures, liabilities and costs incurred through September 30, 2013. This results in a preliminary, unaudited remaining year-end fund balance of $1.8 million, or 0.91%, (less than one percent) of the General Fund. It is recommended that $1.0 million of the available $1.8 million in estimated year-end fund balance be deposited into the Infrastructure Fund to help finance the Senior Center Project. Construction costs for the Senior Center are currently estimated at $21.5 million. The FY 2013/14 Adopted Budget includes an appropriation of $1.5 million in the Infrastructure Fund. A potential bond issue is a viable option to finance up to $15 million towards this project. This action would increase funding in the Infrastructure Fund to a total of $2.5 million for the Senior Center project, resulting in a projected funding gap of $4.0 million. Further, this action assists the City in complying with the Charter mandate that 15 percent of General Fund revenue be spent on its infrastructure. While the City has done an extraordinary job of reducing overall expenditures, an area of particular concern is the City's total workers' compensation claims exposure. The City is self -insured in its workers' compensation program and has a liability of total outstanding claims (comprised of short - and long-term claims currently estimated at $10.9 million). While the City budgets for costs that are likely to be paid out in a single fiscal year, it currently does not have a concrete plan for funding the remaining outstanding long-term claims. As one of the Strategic Planning Goals is to "Improve the City's Long -Term Financial Sustainability," it is strongly recommended that the City begin a six -year plan to address the outstanding, unfunded workers' compensation liabilities and deposit the remaining $800,000 of remaining year-end fund balance into the Workers' Compensation Internal Services Fund to begin addressing this cost. H.B - 3 - Item 3. - 2 Dept. ID FN 14-003 Page 3 of 3 Meeting Date: 2/18/2014 FY 2012/13 General Fund Balance Designations In FY 2012/13, the City was able to pay off the PARS liabilities associated with the City's Early Retirement Incentive Program two years ahead of schedule. This payment was made from a combination of one-time revenue and citywide vacancy savings in FY 2012/13. As such, a PARS Obligation Reserve of $4.7 million that was previously set aside for this purpose is now available for redistribution to other high -priority needs. As these funds are one-time in nature, it is strongly recommended that these funds be reallocated to fund other one-time needs, such as capital needs. Staff recommends the allocation of $2.0 million for the Senior Center Project bringing total hard dollars identified for the project to $4.5 million; $1.0 million for the Countywide 800 MHz Interoperability Project currently estimated to cost the City $11.0 million; an additional $1,160,000 into the Capital Improvement Reserve to help finance the acquisition of open space/parks; and $500,000 to partially fund the proposed CalPERS "One Equals Five Plan" in order to reduce the City's unfunded pension liabilities. Environmental Status: Not Applicable. Strategic Plan Goal: improve Long -Term Financial Sustainability Improve the City's Infrastructure Enhance Economic Development Enhance and Maintain Public Safety Develop, Retain and Attract Quality Staff Enhance Quality of Life Attachment(s): 1. Recommended FY 2012/13 General Fund Balance Designations Item 3. - 3 14B -34- Attachment No. 1 Recommended FY 2012/13 General Fund Balance Designation (in thousands) Fund Balance Category Economic Uncertainties Litigation Reserve Budget Stabilization PARS Obligation's Equipment Replacement Retiree Medical Unfunded General Plan Maintenance Capital Improvement Reserve (CIR) Senior Center CalPERS "One Equals Five Plan" Other Fund Balance" Total Fund Balance: FY 2011/12 Audited 24,011 900 3,100 4,701 6,913 698 323 5,970 7.819 `The PARS Obligation expense was paid from a combination of one-time revenue and vacancy savings in FY 2012113. "Includes Pre -paid Insurance, Encumbrances, Non -Spendable and Other Restricted Items. Please note these recommended fund balance designations may be subject to change upon further review and certification by the City's external independent auditors. H -35- Item 3. - 4