Let’s cut loose a couple of these agenda items for tonight’s DeKalb council meeting and try to paste them into the big picture. It is odd that this fiscal year’s budget allows for the hiring of code inspectors into the police department’s Crime Free Housing Bureau instead of mingling them with the rest of the…
Tag: budget
City Pay Raises Approved
In reading the agenda for last night’s meeting, I noticed council members were getting set to “reconsider” Resolution 13-56, the same one they shot down last meeting that would have given the contracted attorney a 2% raise. I would’ve liked to have read a summary of the contentious June 24 discussion, but alas! I couldn’t…
Need & Recommendations for Medical Cost Containment
A couple weeks ago I mentioned that DeKalb’s financial consultants made recommendations for medical cost containment deserving of their own post. Here it is, finally. Turns out it’s not just the recommendations after all and it’s very long, so grab a cuppa something and make the jump when you’ve got time to hang out for…
Zombie TIF and Other Notes from Last Night
DeKalb’s city council met again with DeKalb’s financial consultants, EPI/Crowe, to consider the latter’s latest report and recommendations. The most important information to pass on to you is that the consultants told the council, at least twice AND in so many words, that the city will enter another financial crisis within five years if it…
Procurement
In its May 2009 report, Executive Partners, Inc. (EPI) recommended the City of DeKalb centralize its purchasing. DeKalb never followed through. Now that the consultants have returned (as EPI/Crowe) they must repeat themselves. Once again I offer a transcription, taken from the April 13 workshop between EPI/Crowe and City of DeKalb officials. And once again…
As We Head to the Final Vote on the Budget
DeKalb’s expenses are outpacing revenues: The city will spend at least $30 million from its general fund, a 5.4 percent increase from this fiscal year. The city’s general fund pays for city personnel, equipment, and contractual services. The city is projecting $31.1 million in revenue for fiscal 2014, a 4.2 percent increase from this fiscal…
Budget Hearing Tonight is Premature
There is going to be a special meeting tonight at 6 p.m. to talk over amendments to the draft budget. Then, during the regular meeting beginning 7 p.m. there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget. Really? Two of the proposed amendments are sizeable, and would set off lots of juggling. (PDF p.…
EPI and City of DeKalb Operations
Here’s a transcript of a bit of commentary by Larry Kujovich from the dynamic duo Executive Partners and Crowe Horwath, the consultants who met with City of DeKalb officials April 13 to talk strategic financial planning. You’ve gotta look into the future. . .Does your 5-year plan list what you need, or what is available…
Correction: Pilots, PILOTs & Water
In a recent post about the latest Executive Partners, Inc. (EPI) involvement with the City of DeKalb as its financial consultant, I expressed anxiety about a proposal to privatize the city’s water. Turns out, that’s not the EPI proposal for the Water Division, and I’m sorry to have led you astray. It’s a PILOT (not…
DeKalb’s Pension Picture Updated
I’ve added FY2012 numbers to the set of charts you’ll find in DeKalb’s Pension Funding Progress. They come from the latest Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). [easychart type=”line” width=”420″ title=”Yearly Funding of Pensions by Percentage Funded” groupnames=”IMRF, Police, Fire” valuenames=”’99, ’00, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12” group1values=”101.47, 109.49,…