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City
Budget
Everything that the City does requires
money, people or both. The City budget allocates these
resources to the programs identified by the City Council
as being a priority. All of the services that the City
provides are identified in the budget. Services range
from providing police, fire protection, recreational
facilities, maintenance of streets/storm drains, and
the whole infrastructure of the city. The list below
includes important budget terminology:
- Fund – A fiscal and accounting
entity with a self-balancing set accounts
- General Fund – Accounts
for tax and other general-purpose revenues as well
as the City's general government activities.
- Operating Budget – A fiscal
plan detailing current operating programs, including
an estimate of proposed expenditures and the proposed
means to finance them.
- Capital Fund – A budget
for the construction or development of a project
(street, park, building, etc.) of a long-term nature/life
constructed for the public good.
Essentially there are two types of
funds, general and capital/special. General funds are
used for the operation of general services of the City,
while capital funds are specifically established by
law for specified funds such as street construction
and maintenance or storm drain construction. Capital
funds cannot be used for operational services. A budget
is restricted by the amount of revenue that is available
to the City. City budgets are required to be balanced.
The budget is based upon goals that
are established by the City Council. Beginning in the
month of February the departments collaborate upon the
usages of the budget. Most importantly they discuss
how the money should be used in order to benefit the
city and it's people and meet the goals of the City
Council. The finance officer develops a proposed budget
for the City Manager based on these discussions. The
City Manager edits and makes alterations to the budget.
In the final phase the edited proposal is sent to the
City Council. The City Council holds hearings to get
public input and to discuss the proposed budget. Following
these public budget hearings, the City Council adopts
the budget in late June.
Funds are based upon the amount of
annual revenues the City receives. The major revenues
that the City receives are:
- Taxes: sales tax, transient
occupancy tax, and franchise fees.
- License and Permits: business
licenses, bicycle licenses and building permits
- Fines and Forfeits: vehicle
code fines, parking citations, vehicle release fees,
proof of correction fees, general ordinance fines
and false alarm fees.
- Use of Money and Property: interest
earnings, sale of machinery and equipment, sale
of land and other rental/lease revenues.
- Charges for services: plan check
fees, planning fees, engineering fees, special service
fees, engineering special service fees, community
service special program fees, emergency preparedness
special program fees, finger print fees, candidate
filling fees and sale of printed material.
- Intergovernmental: motor vehicle
in lieu fees, homeowners' property tax relief, off
highway fees and grant funding.
- Fire district: property tax,
interest earnings, plan check fees, reimbursement
form the City and Redevelopment Agency.
- Library: County Library Services,
entrepreneurial fees, fund raising and supplementary
funding.
go to Where the
Money Comes From page
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