Per a recommendation of the 2014 Citizen Financial Review Task Force, City Council has formed a 2019 task force to measure the effectiveness of steps taken to implement the recommendations of the 2014 report and determine if additional recommendations should be established and pursued by the City.
At the February 25 City Council Meeting, Council appointed the following residents to the 2019 Citizen Financial Review Task Force: Ann Gabriel (Chair), Jamie Crane, Colin Gawel, Greg Guy, Ukeme Awakessien Jeter, Tim Keen, Matthew J. Kirby, Matthew Rule, Kaz Unalan.
The Task Force is expected to conduct its work over a period of approximately three months, from early April through early June of 2019.
The Charge
The Task Force has been charged with the following:
- Review the report of the 2014 Task Force.
- Determine the extent to which recommendations have been implemented; evaluate whether desired outcomes were achieved for each implemented recommendation, or if not, determine if each recommendation is still valid at this time.
- Undertake a high-level review of the City’s current financial status and overall outlook.
- Explore further privatization and/or collaboration opportunities.
- Undertake a high level assessment of existing service levels to verify alignment with community needs and/or expectations.
- Assess the status of capital investments made to date and the outlook/plans for the next 10-year Capital Improvement Program.
- Examine and recommend specific program areas where a fuller review may be necessary.
- Report findings and make recommendations for City Council to consider.
DETAILS
Meeting Schedule
- Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held on Thursday mornings, beginning at 8:15 am
- All meetings will be held in the Lower Level Meeting Room at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road
- Some meetings may be cancelled if deemed unnecessary by the Chair
- April 4
- April 18
- April 25
- May 2
- May 9
- 7 pm, Wednesday, May 15
- May 16
- May 23
- Agenda, Assess City Services/Explore further privatization and/or collaboration opportunities*
- May 30
- Review of Identified Recommendation of 2014 Task Force*
- 7 pm, Wednesday, June 5
- June 6**
- Discuss Report and Recommendations to City Council*
- June 13**
- Approval of Final Report*
*Draft meeting topics are provided where available, but are subject to change.
**Placeholder meeting dates in the event additional time is needed to conclude the work of the Task Force.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
To view documents associated with the Citizen Financial Review Task Force, search our Archives Portal – Special Commissions & Task Forces using the following Special Meeting Type:
- Citizen Financial Review Task Force
In 2013, the City faced significant, long-term reductions in its revenue stream that were negatively impacting operating revenues and funds for capital improvements. Despite taking a series of progressive steps to address this shortfall, projections indicated an impending structural deficit that would severely compromise the City’s ability to maintain core municipal services and to perform necessary infrastructure improvements.
In an effort to address and correct this negative forecast, Upper Arlington City Council appointed the 2014 Citizen Financial Review Task Force to perform a detailed study of the City’s finances and to develop recommendations that would keep the City on a strong financial footing and enable it to fully meet its obligations to the community.
That task force issued a report containing 15 recommendations, the most notable of which resulted in the passage of Issue 23 in November of 2014 – a .5% increase in the City’s income tax rate to be solely devoted to capital improvements. The task force also recommended a follow up review some number of years after the initial report.