Page 19 - Hurst Budget FY21

FY 2020-2021, programs and services across the city were evaluated and in some cases those
services were reduced or eliminated. Additionally, internal reorganizations to accomplish savings
and improve efficiencies were also implemented in order to accomplish budgetary savings. This
was a challenging, but necessary exercise in contrast to the history of new revenues and economic
growth driving our program improvements and expansions. Emphasis continues to be placed on
public safety services and infrastructure maintenance.

 Maintain a competitive salary and benefit structure for city employees in order to attract,
and retain qualified staff to operate the city’s programs and services. The operating budgets
continues to provide competitive wages and benefits for all employees. Personnel salaries and
benefits continue to be the major cost factor in the operating budgets with approximately 75% of
the General Fund Operating Budget being utilized for personnel costs. The city continues to fully
fund our Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) plan and other key benefits important to
attract and retain top talent. However, in FY 2020-2021, our attendance pay program will be elimi-
nated and cost of living increases will not be provided. Our compensation program remains com-
petitive within the local market and the organization remains committed to its employees. the ex-
ecutive team also took a reduction in pay. The State Legislature passed a bill in 2019 that requires
all cities to maintain salary and benefits for all public safety in FY 2020-2021. In order to equitably
comply with this mandate, health care rates were held flat for all employees, not just public safety.
The attendance pay program is related to healthy behaviors and not related to direct earnings for
all employees. Elimination of this program helped the city maintain our other benefits offerings
without passing along any increases.

 Provide for infrastructure maintenance and facility improvements in the operating budgets.
A total of $1.4 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, including 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 $1.7 million has been
budgeted primarily for water and wastewater system maintenance. The Community Services Half-
Cent Fund has $786,342 budgeted for infrastructure maintenance for parks, recreation and library
purposes. The Anti-Crime Half-Cent Fund has approximately $624,603 budgeted for equipment
and facility maintenance and the Storm Water Management Fund has budgeted approximately
$362,105 for drainage improvements throughout the city. The Information Services capital
replacement program totals $134,600, and the Fleet Services capital replacement program totals
$327,000. 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 $5.3 million with additional funds to be dedicated for future capital
replacement.

 Continue 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; however, the
pandemic put a temporary pause on these events. In spite of the pandemic, we continue to work
with developers to create desirable developments in the target zones, such as the Provision at
North Valentine that opened in late 2019 as well as the Provision at Patriot Place and Gala at
Central Park that are in various stages of development. To further build upon our success, the city
partnered with Gardner Capital to creates the its first Public Facilities Corporation (PFC). The PFC
will help support the development of housing that targets seniors on a fixed income and will result
in additional public and private investment in one of the target zones. The city continues to be
active in economic development agreements which have supported redevelopment of the North
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