Submitted By
Donna M. Gayden, Interim CFO
Reviewed By
A.M. Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager
Agenda Item Title
Title
An Ordinance Adopting the Budget for All Corporate Purposes of the Village of Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois in Lieu of the Appropriation Ordinance for the Fiscal Year Commencing on the First Day of January, 2024 and Ending on the Thirty-First Day of December, 2024
End
Overview
Overview
The Village Board held a Public Hearing on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget along with several Finance Committee and/or special Board meetings to discuss the budget in detail with elected officials. This item is the final action for adoption of the Budget.
Body
Staff Recommendation
Adopt the Ordinance.
Fiscal Impact
The Ordinance legally appropriates the required funding for Fiscal Year 2024 spending.
Background
The final document presented as the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget includes detailed financial information which provides the legal authority for Village expenditures throughout the year. As in prior years, budget amendments may be brought forth for Board approval on a quarterly basis to adjust certain accounts as deemed necessary.
The final proposed budget incorporates discussions held during meetings held October 26th, November 20th (public hearing), and November 28th. Please note that three additional meetings were held to specifically review and discuss capital improvement plan projects.
Section 2-6-5 of the Village Code establishes the foundation for the Village’s budget and provides:
• The Village fiscal year is January 1 - December 31 annually.
• The Board of Trustees must adopt the annual budget prior to the start of the Fiscal Year and passage of the annual budget shall be in lieu of passage of the appropriation ordinance.
• On or before the Village Board of Trustees' first regular meeting in November of each year, the Village Manager shall submit to the Board of Trustees an annual Municipal budget which contains estimates of revenues together with recommended expenditures in conformity with good fiscal management practice.
The use of Fund Accounting for the Village’s revenues and expenditures is required as the Village of Oak Park is established under State Law as a municipal corporation and the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) requires the use of Generally Accepted Account Principles (GAAP) established by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Among the basic principles of governmental GAAP is fund accounting. Because of the diverse nature of governmental operations and the numerous legal and fiscal constraints under which those operations must be conducted, it is impossible to record all governmental financial transactions and balances in a single accounting entity. Therefore, unlike a small private business which is accounted for as a single entity, a governmental unit is accounted for through separate funds, each of which is a fiscal and accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts. When compared to the private sector, fund accounting would most closely resemble a large publicly traded company that consists of a parent corporation and its subsidiaries, where each subsidiary maintains a separate set of accounting records and reports its numbers to the parent which then consolidates all the information for investor reporting.
A $300,000 placeholder in the Neighborhood Services Department for the Oak Park Regional Housing Center was reallocated from 1001.46211.240.85652 to the NS-Administration External Support account 1001.46211.101.530667. This reallocation occurred as Village Staff is waiting on the conclusion of the financial audit for the Village Board to review. If, after reviewing the results of the audit, a decision to move forward with a funding grant agreement in fiscal year 2024, a budget amendment will be presented to the Village Board to reallocate the funds to the Oak Park Regional Housing Center budget account.
Alternatives
The Village Board is required to adopt the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget prior to December 31, 2023.
Previous Board Action
The Village Board adopted the FY23 Budget on December 5, 2022.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
N/A