Budget Amendments - Tovo

[Kathie Tovo]

Colleagues,
Here is my draft list of budget amendments. Please note these are ONLY the amendments I added to the concept menu or, in a few instances, are proposed options or revisions to amendments that have been advanced by others. This list is not meant to reflect those amendments from others of which I’m in support, including the substantial increase in Health and Human Services spending, health care for temporary employees, an increase in wages for temporary staff, and body cameras for the Austin Police Department, to name just a few.

Whether I move the following amendments forward will depend on available funding since some amendments I expect to come from others will be high priorities for me. And depending on answers still pending to some of my budget questions, I may have additional amendments to make next week.

Note: Throughout the list, I’ve used “CM” as shorthand for “concept menu” and “BQ” for “budget question”.

Potential General Fund Budget Reductions.

1. Increase Development Service fees to cover full costs of service: $1,386,186 [CM 3.03; BQ 97]

2. Reduce General Fund Transfer to the Economic Incentives Reserve Fund: $2.5 million (*amount may change depending on response to BQ 283) [CM 2.35; BQ 221 and 283.]
*Note: The goal is to reduce the General Fund transfer by an amount that will not impact the ability pay existing Chapter 380 and other approved agreements for FY 2016-17.
Related to Budget Addition Item 9 below.

3. Lower the proposed Budget Stabilization Reserve funds from 12.5% to 12.2% and maintain compliance with City’s financial policies: $2,060,474 [BQ response from Brad Sinclair dated 8/18/15]

4. Eliminate “Consultant for Logo and Branding” for Development Services: $50,000 [BQ 281; Volume II, Page 685]

5. Transfer “nine months of funding” of 1 new marketing position and 1 new customer service position in Development Services to fund 2 FTEs for the Music Office to respond to the Austin Music Census: budget calculations pending – potentially budget neutral or a reduction in expenditures for General Fund [CM 1.27 sponsored by Council Member Troxclair; BQ: 279 and 280; Volume 1, Page 177]


Potential General Fund Budget Additions
6. Allocate $684,000 to continue funding AISD Parent Support Specialists [CM 1.09; recommendation from City of Austin, Travis County and Austin ISD Joint Subcommittees]

7. Allocate $520,000 to continue and enhance funding for afterschool programs [CM 1.10; recommendation from the City of Austin, Travis County and Austin ISD Joint Subcommittees to continue funding at $400,000; the additional $120,000 would enable AISD to enhance programming for three additional high-needs schools.]

8. Allocate $100,000 to advance progress for establishing a sobriety center [CM 1.04; source resolutions 20150618-084 and 20140320-051]. Note: this initiative may require a mid-year budget amendment to allocate additional funds.

9. Allocate $500,000 of the General Fund Transfer reduction from Item 2 above to provide additional funding for cultural arts contracts and local economic development initiatives (e.g., the Serie Project, Capital IDEA, etc.). [CM 1.33 sponsored by Renteria; CM 1.30]

10. Allocate $300,000 of the General Fund Transfer reduction from Item 2 above for the African American Cultural Heritage District. [CM 1.18 and 1.19 sponsored by Council Member Houston; BQ 260]

11. Allocate $25,000 of the General Fund Transfer reduction from Item 2 above for marketing for Austin Dia de los Muertos UNLESS this expense is eligible for hotel/motel tax revenues. [CM 1.35 sponsored by Council Member Renteria]

12. Allocate $32,000 to meet demand at Asian American Resource Center senior congregate meals program. [BQ 258; recommendation from Asian American Quality of Life Commission]

Note: The congregate meals program at Dove Springs may experience an increase in demand once the recreation center obtains additional staff and may require additional mid-year funding.

13. Allocate approximately $64,000 of General Fund dollars for six months of funding of an additional Lieutenant position in the Austin Fire Department plus one-time costs of $43,200. [CM 1.72; “Initial Funding Requests 2015,” page B-21]

14. Allocate $200,000 to increase youth programs offered through the Parks and Recreation (could include expansion of Roving Leaders, playground program, etc.) and report back to Open Space Committee on how funding is used. [CM 1.50 sponsored by Council Member Pool; BQ 108, 257, and 289].

Proposed Changes to Enterprise Funds

15. Delay implementation of extending parking meter hours for Wednesday nights until a public process has been undertaken and strategies implemented for mitigating the impact on lower-wage downtown workers and musicians: $400,000 impact on revenue for the Parking Management Fund; however, the reduction in revenue can be offset by delaying construction on earmarked infrastructure projects. [BQ 274]

16. If Council adopts staff’s proposal to implement a fee to cover administrative costs related to Transportation Network Companies, then apply administrative cost savings of $350,713 to infrastructure projects delayed by #15 above.

17. Delay adoption of new tariff rate for High Load Factor Primary Voltage (demand greater than or equal to 20 MW) until Council has opportunity to review and discuss proposal. Council discussion should occur no later than October 2015 Austin Energy meeting. [CM 3.21; BQ 297]

18. Change 10 kilowatt (kW) small commercial demand threshold from 10kW back to 20kW and amend the tariff such that the rate applies for not less than three months following the last month in which the required demand level was met: could result in an under-recovery but could also be budget neutral – in other words, budgetary impact unknown. [CM 3.20]

OR

19. Leave 10 kilowatt (kW) small commercial demand threshold but amend the tariff such that the rate applies for customers using more than 5,000 kwH: could result in an under-recovery but could also be budget neutral – but budgetary impact unknown. [CM 3.20]

[Kathie Tovo]

Sorry - forgot a few references for my proposed amendments:

Item #13 is supported by budget question 299
Item #17 is supported by budget questions 282 and 297
Items #18 and #19 are supported by budget question 154