2019 Citizen Financial Review Task Force

Per a recommendation of the 2014 Citizen Financial Review Task Force, City Council 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 conducted its work from early April through June of 2019. Task Force Chair, Ann Gabriel, presented a draft version of the 2019 Citizen Financial Review Task Force Report to City Council at its July 8 Meeting. Council members will be reviewing this document over summer recess, with the intent of further discussion and action in the fall. Please check back in August for additional updates.

The Charge

The Task Force was 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
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, 2014 Task Force Recommendations Presentation
- April 18
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, Finances 101 Presentation, March 2019 Monthly Financial Report, Local Government Property Tax Level & Collection Overview
- April 25
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, Total Revenues by Source 2001-2018, Number of City Employees by Function, Questions & Requests for Information, Attachment A – City’s Master Plan 2013, Attachment B – Comparable Cities Debt, Attachment C – Pages from Dec 2018 Finance Director Report
- May 2
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, 2019 Public Service Department Overview, Parks & Recreation Department Overview, Values Statement Options, Questions for Department Heads, Questions & Requests for Information 2 w/attachments
- May 9
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, Community Development Budget, Economic Development Budget, Economic Development Presentation, Fire Division Budget, Fire Division Presentation, Police Division Budget, Police Division Presentation, Organizational Chart
- 7 pm, Wednesday, May 15
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, Consolidated Fund Summary 2015-2023
- May 16
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, Finance PDF, Finance Related Budget & FTE
- May 23
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes
- May 30
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, 2019 Task Force Follow Up Information, Survey Service Highlights, Summary of Lane Ave Options Survey, Shared Services & Privatization Summery, Right Track Wrong Track Comparables
- 7 pm, Wednesday, June 5
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes, Draft Report
- June 6
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes
- June 13
  - Agenda, Signed Minutes
- 7:30 pm, Monday, June 17 Council Conference Session
  - Update to City Council on the work of the Task Force
- June 20
  - Agenda
- June 27
  - Agenda, Report, Response to City Council
- 7 pm, Tuesday, July 2
  - Agenda, Draft 2019 Citizen Financial Review Task Force Report, presented to Council on July 8
- 7:30 pm, Monday, July 8 City Council Meeting
  - 2019 Citizen Financial Review Task Force Report to City Council – July 8, 2019, 2019 CFRTF Presentation
City Council members intend to review the report of the task force over summer recess. Dates for further discussion are pending.

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

HISTORY/BACKGROUND

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.

CONTACT FINANCE DEPARTMENT