DEPARTMENT: Office of Management and Budget
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Maria Villagomez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
City Council Worksession on the FY 2016 Proposed Budget
SUMMARY:
Staff presentation on the FY 2016 Proposed Budget focusing on, but not limited to, the following City Departments:
A. Library
B. Animal Care Services
C. Information Technology Services (ITSD)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The FY 2016 Proposed Budget was presented to the Mayor and City Council on August 6, 2015. The FY 2016 Proposed Budget reflects City Council policy direction and community priorities. The Budget decreases the City’s property tax rate, increases funding to streets and sidewalks, and maintains public safety spending below 66% of the General Fund. Additionally, budgeted financial reserves are maintained at 15% of General Fund revenues. The budget proposal does not recommend any layoffs of uniform or civilian employees.
The Proposed Consolidated Annual Budget, comprised of all funds excluding transfers, totals $2.5 billion. The General Fund budget is $1.1 billion; restricted funds, including Aviation, Development Services, and Solid Waste, total $780 million; and the FY 2016 Capital Budget is $670 million.
Following the presentation of the proposed budget a series of city council budget worksessions are scheduled from August 11 to September 9. At these sessions City staff will review the budget proposals with the Mayor and City Council in detail. The budget is scheduled to be adopted on September 10 for the City’s fiscal year that begins on October 1.
ISSUE:
A budget Worksession is scheduled for Thursday August 27, 2015 from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 PM at the Municipal Plaza “B” Room. At this session, the City Council will be presented with the FY 2016 Proposed Budget for the Library, Animal Care Services, and Information Technology Services Departments.
Library
The mission of the San Antonio Public Library is to change lives through the transformative power of information, imagination and ideas. The library system is made up of the Central Library, the Library Portal at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, the partnership library with NEISD (Molly Pruitt Library at Roosevelt High School) and 25 neighborhood full service branch libraries throughout the City. These locations provide open access to technology, information through digital and print materials and gathering space for both community driven meetings, as well as library led programs. In addition, the library provides 24/7 services through the library website.
The total FY 2016 Proposed Budget for the Library is $37,711,983 and authorizes 553 positions. The Budget includes $602,237 in resources for a contract increase for the Molly Pruitt Library and partial resources to open and operate two new branches in District 6 and District 2. The new library outlets are scheduled to open in September 2016 and November 2016, respectively.
The Proposed Budget also includes $1,000,000 for improvements to library technology.
Additionally, the Library and Bexar County have agreed to cooperate in providing digital library materials thus providing for efficiencies of services and reducing the Library’s Budget by $300,000.
Details of the FY 2016 program changes for the Library are included Attachment I.
Also included in the General Fund Budget are additional revenues in the amount of approximately $1,560 for fees associated document scanning. The revenue detail for FY 2016 is included in Attachment II.
Animal Care Services
The role of Animal Care Services (ACS) is to promote a safe and animal friendly City by enforcing City and State animal welfare laws. ACS provides humane animal sheltering 365 days a year for lost, homeless and stray pets who are injured, sick, abandoned, abused, or neglected. The program reunites dogs and cats with their owners, adopts pets into new homes, and provides shelter medicine services. Below is a summary of Animal Care Services’ funding and position counts that would be authorized in the FY 2016 Proposed Budget.
|
FUND |
FY 2016 PROPOSED BUDGET |
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS |
|
General Fund |
$12,538,983 |
130 |
|
Capital Projects |
500,000 |
0 |
|
Total |
$13,038,983 |
130 |
The total FY 2016 General Fund Proposed Budget includes approximately $318,456 in mandates for the District 3 Spay/Neuter Clinic at Brooks. Additionally, $500,000 is included in the Capital Budget for a total of $818,456 for construction and equipment of the Brooks facility.
The proposed budget also includes $50,000 in reductions by restructuring the Community Sweeps Initiative through the creation of the new Animal Care Services Outreach Program. Details regarding the FY 2016 Program Changes are included in Attachment III.
Information Technology and Services Department
The Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) provides information technology services to all City departments by providing governance and support for all the technology functions and business systems that facilitate the goals and objectives of the City.
|
FUND |
FY 2016 PROPOSED BUDGET |
AUTHORIZED POSITIONS |
|
Information Technology Services Fund |
$56,712,598 |
342 |
|
Capital Projects |
21,022,000 |
0 |
|
Total |
$77,734,598 |
342 |
The ITSD’s FY 2016 Proposed Budget includes $1,179,654 for improvements and adds 4 positions to support the Comprehensive Development Services Software System and 1 position to support the service maintenance program for HVAC/UPS. Other improvements include providing support for new functionality in SAP, data loss prevention software, and the VMTurbo Operations Manager.
The FY 2016 Proposed Budget also includes $668,901 in reductions and eliminates 9 vacant positions. Position responsibilities would be absorbed by existing staff.
Details regarding the FY 2016 Program Changes are included in Attachment IV.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is a scheduled worksession for the FY 2016 Proposed Budget.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This presentation provides a briefing on the major initiatives within the Library, Animal Care Services and Information Technology Services Departments. The FY 2016 Budget is scheduled to be adopted by City Council on September 10, 2015.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is a worksession for discussion of the FY 2016 Proposed Budget and is for briefing purposes only.