Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-Finance '- "....... CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION .: Dept: BARBARA PACHON, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE subject: ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE APPROVAL OF BUDGET TRANSFERS. FINANCE cg(Q)~W Date: OCTOBER 22, 1996 Synopaia of Previoua Council action: CITY ATTORNEY'S LEGAL OPINION NO. 96-12 10/17/96. Reco..ended ~tion: ADOPT ORDINANCE. e (f}g(L.~~~4 Signature COntact peraon: BARBARA PACHON. DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Phone: x - 5242 Supporting data attached: POLICIES & PROCEDURES. STAFF REPORT Ward: FUNDING REQUIREMEllTS: Aaount: NIA SOurce: (Acct. No.1 NIA (Acct. DescriutioD\ Finance: council Notea: Previously II II 'i-/? (, #-C)t.f 1 f / Aqenda It_ No. /dJ ~/q /, g>' .- Ordi,u,,;... 11,;- 18~ CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION e e e STAFF REPORT BACKGROUND The City has the historical practice of allowing individual departments to request budget transfers within their departmental budgets as long as the total department budget allocation is not increased. For your information, attached are the "Fiscal Policies and Procedures" pertaining to budget amendments as established by the Finance Department. The City Attorney's Office has drafted the attached ordinance relating to the approval of budget amendments. In response to an inquiry by a Council Member, the City Attorney's Office released Opinion No. 96-12, relating to budget amendments. The opinion notes that although there is no specific Council authorization for budget amendments, the process has been followed for many years and has been approved by a myriad of independent auditors; therefore, it is assumed based on this long-standing practice, which practice was known to Council, that there was sometime in the distant past specific approval given. For purposes of clarity and to give spe'cific direction to the departments involved, the City Attorney's Office has recommended that the attached ordinance drafted by their department be adopted. Also attached for your information are "Fiscal policies and Procedures" relating to budget amendments. Working wi thin the parameters set by the ordinance, the policies and procedures offer more details for departments on operational matters. For example: Departments must initiate budget amendments on the appropriate form and provide adequate back-up. The Finance Department amendments and complete upon approval. will review requests for budget the necessary accounting functions Requests for transfers between funds or departments, and transfers involving personnel services accounts require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council. For purposes of consistency with established authority limits in other financial areas, budget amendments under $25, 000 meeting the appropriate criteria will be approved by the Director of Finance. Requests for budget amendments over $25,000 require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Mayor and Common Council adopt the attached ordinance relating to the approval of budget amendments. e e e CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO FISCAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: BUDGET AMENDMENTS PURPOSE: To establish the administrative procedures for recording all changes to the City's annual budget. Changes include increases, decreases and transfers in both revenues and expenditures. Changes to the budget may be required for several reasons, including changes in Memorandums of Understanding (MOU's), acceptance of grant programs, revisions of currently funded programs, as well as minor administrative adjustments ,such as intradepartmental revisions between line items. POLICY: Admini~trative adjustments to the budget within the same fund and department that do not increase a department's total budget allocation and do not increase or decrease personnel services accounts may be approved by the Director of Finance (or designee) up to $25,000. Administrative changes over $5,000 that do not increase a department's total budget allocation and do not increase or decrease personnel services accounts may be further reviewed by the City Admini~trator (or designee) up to $25,000. These approval amounts are similar to established purchasing authority limits. All expenditures must comply with established purchasing procedures. Any request for changes to the budget that do not meet the requirements above must have approval of the Mayor and Common Council. PROCEDURES: 1.0 ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS - changes to the budget that do not require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council and may be approved administratively by the Finance Department. 1.1 BUDGET TRANSFERS - Requests for amendments to the budget of $25 ,000 and under that do not increase a department's total budget allocation and do not increase or decrease personnel services accounts. 1.2 Departments will initiate budget transfers by completing a "Budget Transfer/Amendment" form (blank forms can be obtained from the Print Shop). On the form departments will specify from which account the funds are coming from, to which account the funds will go, and the amount of the transfer. Each transfer request should have a thorough justification and include any supporting back-up documentation. e e e 1.3 All requests for budget transfers require the signature of the department head .or designee. 1.4 All requests for budget transfers not requiring Council approval will be directed to the Finance Department for review and processing. The Finance Department will determine the following: a. availability of funds b. level of approval authority required. c. validity of account numbers 1.5 Budget transfers of $25,000 or under will be approved by the Finance Director or designee. Transfers over $5,000 tnay be forwarded to the City Administrator's Office for further review. 1.6 After the request for budget transfer has been approved and processed, the Finance Department will return the pink copy. of the "Budget Amendment/Transfer" form to the requesting department indicating the journal entry number for the budget transfer. 2.0 LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS - changes to the budget that require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council and may not be approved admini~tratively. 2.1 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET REOUESTS - requests for additional appropriation of funds. Ail supplemental budget requests require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council. 2.2 BUDGET TRANSFERS - Any requests for the transfer of funds from one account to another over $25,000 require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council. 2.3 All requests for budget transfers that impact any personnel services accounts require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council. 2.4 All requests for transfers between departments or funds require the approval of the Mayor and Common Council. 2.5 Departments will initiate budget transfers/supplemental budget requests by completing a "Budget Transfer/Amendment" form (blank forms can be obtained from the Print Shop). All requests must be adequately justified, explaining the conditions creating the need for additional funds in the specified account. The "Budget Amendment/Transfer" form should be submitted to the Council as part of the department's agenda item pertaining to the use of the funds. The Finance Department will review the budget amendment for accuracy and availability of funds at the time the agenda item is reviewed and prior to going to the Mayor and Common Council for approval. 2 e e e 2.6 Upon Council approval, the department should forward the "Budget Amendment/Transfer" form with proof of Council approval to the Finance Department for processing. 2.7 After the budget transfer/supplemental budget request has been approved and processed, the Finance Department will return the pink copy of the "Budget Amendment/Transfer" form to the requesting department indicating the jouma1 entry number for the budget amendment. 3