City News:                                    

City Budget: Responding to Community Concerns

We are currently making preparations for the next budget year so that we may continue to provide projects, programs and city services to you. In conjunction with all city departments, the City Manager prepares and presents a proposed budget to the City Council each spring, in anticipation of adoption by the City Council for the fiscal year which begins July 1. Several public held (beginning in April) and several more throughout May before final adoption, ensuring that the city's annual budget takes into account community needs, interests and priorities.

 

As state estimates of Nevada’s general fund budget problem continue to grow, the Fernley City team is carefully evaluating the City’s financial outlook. The budget deficits for government entities have been attributed to several factors, including lower state revenue projections due to the economy's current outlook, lower property taxes and for Fernley specifically, the unexpected financial impact from the January Canal breach. We have asked city departments to prepare budgets making reductions across the board for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008.

 

As the state and local governments throughout the region are looking to make budget cuts, Fernley’s goal will be to continue to provide high levels of service for our existing programs and projects. We are looking very closely at our projections based on current economic data and trends to determine if we are seeing similar downward trends and whether more modifications are necessary. We are carefully monitoring the City’s finances relative to the state, federal and local economic issues. Staff has been developing a plan to address any fiscal impacts to the City.

 

As we enter the budget process, we look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas. Please feel free to contact us at or at 775-784-9859.

City of Fernley Receives Distinguished
Budget Presentation Award:

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has announced that the City of Fernley has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2007/2008 fiscal budget.

 

The award represents a significant achievement by the City of Fernley. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principals of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:

 

·        A policy document

·        A financial plan

·        An operations guide

·        A communications device

 

Budget documents must be rates “proficient” in all four categories to receive the award.

 

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having the award.  This has been presented to Bonnie Duke, CPA Finance Director/City Treasurer and Gary Bacock, City Manager.

 

Award recipients have pioneers efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

 

The Government Finance Officers Association is a non-profit professional association serving 17,500 government finance professionals throughout North America. The GFOA’s Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

 

For further information contact: the City of Fernley City Manager’s Office at (775) 784-9851.

For more City Updates view here