Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 09-24-1990 Special — reading text

contract, and that is a difference of several hundred dollars. He said the data they provided is based on historic fact; he ran a cash check today and, unless something unforeseen happens between now and the end of the month, they pretty much know what they are going to owe; and in the cash balance they have predicted the amount they probably have, right now there is only about $ 35, 000 difference, it may be more by the time at the end of the month. He said they have in the estimated column the expenditures, estimated you and will see the expenditures are a little less than maybe they estimate to spend; but you also see the revenues. He said they predicted at the beginning of this year that they have $ 7, 100, 000, and they are saying at the end of the year they will have roughly $ 6 million. He said those are estimated, and they will be close to being actual figures; if you look back in 1989 you will find exactly what we spent. He said no where do they ever try to build a cushion into the pay scale. He said a budget is a guideline, and he believed overall the City has been fairly successful in preparing a realistic budget, it is detailed out there in line items, it is an itemized budget; and any back up information is readily available, the figures are actual figures prepared by each department head. He believed the true statement was they had possibly two new employees in the whole budget; and each department spends tremendous amount of time justifying each individual. I Mr. deVaux correct. he has a asked slight everyone does not get married, if what The Finance Director said based cushion he theory, asstming unless the premium goes in had there for health based on upon insurance his is sky high. Mr. deVaux said the health insurance for City Council, four Council members take health insurance, the other ones don' t; he figured $ 23, 712 for the heal th insurance, really it only cost the City $ 14, 000 for the heal th insurance. The Finance Direc tor said one year all seven had it. 10 9- 24- 90 90/ 91 BUDGET ( CONT.) Mr. deVaux said the Museum spent $ 4, 000 for health insurance last year, they have down $ 8, 100 this year; that is a 100%increase. He asked if they acquired more employees. The Finance Director said he did not know. they may have gotten married. Mr. Maney asked why they could not have had, at the same time all the numbers were given to Council, statements such as, for this amount of money we are going to do these things. going we buy aremany to so cars. we are going to many miles of sidewalk. we are going to pave so fix so many miles of sewers, etc.; it was said we could have the information in October. and that is long after the budget is approved. He said if the data was put together, as was said, in the last couple of months. that information is well known to the staff. The City Manager said, in answer to that question, yes, they can do it; Council has to ask for it. not individual Council members. figures used in He said the the budget account for every single position authorized in the City. plus two; if they have a vacant position and don' t budget for that vacant position. they may need it in three months. He said for three years they have told Council how they budget for the health insurance. and they think that is prudent; but if Council' s decision is they should not budget that way, they will not budget that way. He said there is no big padding in the budget; we have an employee, his salary and all those items figured out in the budget; and he cut something like $ 3 million out of the budget that came in; but that is his job, then his job is to present it to Council. He said last year he said he would try to have it earlier; if he is around next year. it will be presented another way; and he will be glad to say we have this much money in there for this. we need so many trucks, or whatever. Mr. Maney said only one Councilman wants that so far. The City Manager said if Council tells him to do it. he is ready to provide it. Mr. Maney said his personal feeling is he cannot ever approve a budget when he does not know what they are getting for it. The City Manager said at the beginning of the budget hearings this year, he mentioned to Council he thought part of their responsibility was looking at adding to the budget. if necessary; and he also asked the Council. instead of possibly getting 6 or 7 directives on how to do something, that they make a motion and staff will provide it. Mr. Rosenbaum said he understood but he felt if one of the Council wants some information, it should be made available having to go them, without to through a motion. The City Manager said he was not saying that, he would provide information; what he was saying is, during the budget process, everyone wants different information, and it becomes very difficult.