Page 24 - Hurst FY20 Approved Budget

• Provide for infrastructure maintenance and facility improvements in the operating
budgets. A total of $1.7 million has been budgeted in the General Fund for street,
facilities and equipment maintenance (excluding allocations to Fleet and Information
Technology funds). Aggressive infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement programs,
utilizing pay-as-you-go funding, have been implemented to provide citizens high quality
services while minimizing interest and other costs associated with debt issuance. In the
Enterprise Fund, approximately $1.5 million has been budgeted primarily for water and
wastewater system maintenance. The Community Services Half-Cent Fund has $1.12
million budgeted for capital outlay and infrastructure maintenance for parks, recreation
and library purposes. The Anti-Crime Half-Cent Fund has approximately $635,678
budgeted for equipment and facility maintenance and the Storm Water Management
Fund has budgeted approximately $367,155 for drainage improvements throughout
the city. The Information Services capital replacement program totals $159,500, and
the Fleet Services capital replacement program totals $641,950. Vehicle and equipment
replacement decisions are based upon usage, age, and overall condition. city-wide, pay-
as-you-go infrastructure maintenance and facility improvements, as detailed above, total
over $6.1 million with an additional funds be dedicated for future capital replacement.

• Provide for an economic development programs to protect the existing business
base and promote future development of the city. The city engaged in an economic
development study in FY 2016-2017, which resulted 13 neighborhood areas identified
across the city. This planning process is the continuation of our Transforming Hurst
initiative. As a result of the study, the city has invested in supporting community events
and arts in targeted areas of the city. We have also worked with developers to create
desirable developments in the target zones, such as the Provision at North Valentine
that opened in late 2019. The city is also active in economic development agreements
which have supported redevelopment of the North East Mall as well as other smaller
shopping centers in Hurst. Recently the city approved agreements that support the
Mayfair Village and Sprouts Crossing shopping centers. In addition to active economic
development agreements, the city maintains a Special Projects Fund which includes
dedicated resources to support other economic development efforts. We continue to
work in partnership with the private market to find retailers that will thrive in Hurst. We
are pleased that Hobby Lobby and Tuesday Morning have announced that they will
move into the retail space vacated after Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us closed. Success in
this area will take public-private partnerships as the Council and staff uses our available
resources in tandem with private sector investment. All redevelopment and infrastructure
maintenance projects will help ensure that the city of Hurst remains a sustainable, safe,
and dynamic place for all individuals to live, work, and play. These projects will also
help accomplish part of the city’s mission to ensure Hurst remains a vibrant community

• Identify areas of financial risk that may impact the budget. The city recognizes
that our employees are our most important asset and we want to provide competitive
benefits to attract and retain top talent. Our single greatest cost center is personnel
services (compensation and benefits) and represents one of the largest financial
impacts that we can manage. In evaluating our risks, we have identified healthcare,
retirements, and public safety wages as areas we need to continually monitor.

Healthcare: One of the primary financial risks continues to be escalating employee and
retiree health care costs. The city is self-insured and pays actual claims as well as fees to a

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