Page 35 - City of Arlington FY19 Adopted Operating Budget
P. 35

Business Plan





                                                        The Office of Strategic Initiatives implements pilot programs,
                                                        uses multi-faceted community engagement, and relies on data-driven
                                                        approaches to plan for the future of Arlington today. OSI is made up of
                                                        three divisions – Strategic  Planning,  Research  and Analytics, and
                                                        Grants Management.

                                                        The Strategic  Planning team is  responsible for long-range planning
                                                        efforts including transportation,  corridor, and  area planning;
                                                        neighborhood engagement; and special projects. Area, Corridor, and
                                                        Transportation initiatives include traditional planning efforts, such as the
            city’s Comprehensive Plan, the Downtown Master Plan, the Thoroughfare Development Plan and the Hike and Bike System
            Master Plan. Strategic Planning also manages innovative transportation pilot programs such as the Milo autonomous shuttle,
            the Via Rideshare program, and Drive.ai on-street autonomous vehicle pilot program. Neighborhood engagement includes the
            Neighborhood  Matching Grant, the Block Party Trailer,  and the Arlington
            Home Improvement Incentive Program among other efforts. The Strategic
            Planning team also manages the Arlington Urban  Design Center, a
            partnership intern program with UT Arlington, and serves as the staff liaison
            for the Landmark Preservation Commission.

            The Research and Analytics Group works towards the efficient and
            transparent use of data to provide timely and effective analytical support to
            City programs, services, and its citizens. This team is responsible for the
            growing and maintaining the Open Arlington data portal, which serves as a
            central clearinghouse for accessing, visualizing, and interacting with public open data sets. The R&A team also produces
            quarterly and annual city Growth Reports and supports many other city-wide data and analytics initiatives.

                                                        The Grants Management team administers federal grants including
                                                        Community  Development Block Grants, HOME Investment
                                                        Partnerships Program, and the Emergency Solutions Grant. This team
                                                        works closely with the community, local area non-profit organizations,
                                                        the Arlington Housing Authority, and other city departments to increase
                                                        the quality of life in the City’s low- to moderate-income areas. Grants
                                                        Management is also the lead team for the City’s Annual
                                                        Homeownership Fair.




            FINANCE


            The Finance Department provides support and information to assist the City Manager and the Mayor and City Council in
            management decision-making.  The department facilitates the  development and tracking of the City’s business plan and
            performance-based budget and acts as a strategic partner with departments to provide financial expertise and guidance with
            City-wide impact.  The department is  also responsible for preparing the City’s  Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
            processing payments  to  City  vendors, preparing City payroll,  procuring  goods and services, monitoring  consolidated  tax
            collection efforts, and directing the City’s cash and debt portfolio management activities.  Divisions in the department include
            Administration, Accounting, Purchasing, Treasury Management, Payroll/Payables, and the Office of Management and Budget.
            The Office of Management and Budget has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the past 32 years.  The
            Accounting Division received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (CAFR) for the 39  time and
                                                                                                        th
            became the third Municipality to be awarded all five of the State Controller’s Traditional Finance Transparency Stars, and the
            Purchasing Division received the Achievement for Excellence in Procurement Award for the fifteenth consecutive year.



              2019 Adopted Budget and Business Plan                                        20                                                                  City of Arlington, Texas
   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40