RECOMMENDATION: (Summary)
Adopt an ordinance approving the annual Budgets of the City of Houston for Fiscal Year 2017 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017), providing for various matters related to the fiscal affairs of the City and establishing a charge for purchase of budget document by the public.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
Beginning April 25, 2016, city Council's Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee hosted a series of budget workshops to review and discuss the Fiscal year 2017 operating budget. The budget was distributed to City Council on May 9, 2016, in accordance with the City Charter and the Texas Local Government Code. The expenditure budget for all funds totals approximately $5.1 billion, which includes a General Fund expenditure budget of approximately $2.3 billion.
The budget ordinance includes the following provisions:
- Re-designate $20.2 million for the Budget Stabilization Fund;
- Approval for budget transfers of up to 5% of a "budget expenditure group" between departments within a fund;
- Approval of the incorporation in the Adopted Budget for FY2017 of the audited FY2015 and FY2016 information, and the adjustment of funds balances that may occur as a result;
- Approval for budget transfers of up to $3,459,138 from General Fund-General Government to General Fund departments if the amount budgeted by those departments in the FY2017 Adopted Budget is insufficient to pay actual expenses for electricity, fuel, natural gas, or other necessary expenses;
- Approval to increase the budgets for the Aviation Revenue Fund, but only for transfer to the Airport Improvement Fund, in the event, and to the extent, of unanticipated revenue increases in the Fund as certified by the City Controller;
- Approval to increase the budgets in various Funds to the extent of unanticipated revenue increases in the Fund as certified by the City Controller;
- Approval to charge $35.00 plus tax and postage per set for the purchase of the budget document.
The budget totals include maintenance and operation expenditures, interfund transfers, and operating and capital reserves, as planned ending fund balances. The budget does not include the budgets for the Tax increment Reinvestment Zones, which brought before City Council in a separate action. the Budget is available for review on the Internet, accessible through the City page located at: City Budget.
In addition, request for approval to amend Ordinance 2014-416 to (1) rename Houston Civic Events Fund to Tourism Promotion Special Revenue Fund and (2) that the purposes for the Tourism Promotion Special Revenue Fund as set out in Ordinance 2014-602 are hereby amended and restated to include special events and civic celebrations, activities designed to promote business travel, hotel occupancy, tourism and arts programs in the City of Houston, as well as protocol services for the City of Houston.
The Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Budget is recommended for approval as follows on the attached pages.