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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Attorney FY 14-15 Budget Presentation 5-29-14Fiscal Year 2014-15 City Attorney’s Office Preliminary Budget 1 PRESENTED BUDGET The amount listed in Acct. No. 5502 includes funding for Acct. Nos. 5503 and 5505. 2 PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE REORGANIZATION To provide more efficiency and continuity within the department, as well as cost savings, the following items will be proposed to the Personnel Committee on June 12, 2014: Establish a Chief Assistant City Attorney (U) position; this position will handle the duties previously handled by two (2) Senior Assistant City Attorneys. Once the position is established, the Senior Assistant City Attorney (U) classification will be eliminated. Eliminate the City Attorney Administrative Supervisor (U) position and delegate the duties to the Executive Assistant to the City Attorney (U) and one of the Legal Secretary II (U) positions. Assumption of the additional duties and responsibilities will require revision to the current Executive Assistant to the City Attorney (U) job description and salary range, and the establishment of a Legal Administrative Assistant (U) position since the duties are not representative of the Legal Secretary II position. 3 CURRENT STAFFING 4 PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE REORGANIZATION 5 COST SAVINGS Presented Budget FY 2014-15 The Presented Budget reflects a 3.3% decrease from the Proposed Budget, which was accomplished by not funding the City Attorney Investigative Supervisor position for the entire fiscal year. Proposed Alternative Reorganization (Preferred) Elimination of two (2) Senior Assistant City Attorney (U) positions and the City Attorney Administrative Supervisor (U) position will result in a fully-benefited cost savings of approximately $237,000. This savings reflects a 7.6% decrease from the Proposed Budget, which would produce an additional 4.3% savings in the Presented Budget and provide funding for the City Attorney Investigative Supervisor position. 6 COMPARATIVE DATA FY 2014-15 Presented Budget is 13% lower than the FY 2013-14 Adopted Budget. Proposed Alternative Reorganization results in a 19.8% savings in the FY 2014-15 Presented Budget over the FY 2013-14 Adopted Budget. 7 MAJOR CHALLENGES Since the City filed bankruptcy in August, 2012, more than 150 civil litigation cases were automatically stayed. Once the stay is lifted, additional funding, above the proposed cost-savings, will be required for the use of outside attorneys. These cases will need trial or settlement. Some will be handled in-house, but most will require the use of outside attorneys. 8