Page 249 - City of Bedford FY22 Budget

FY 2020-2021 Highlights

Fin a n ce
The F i nance D i v i s i o n has m ai nt ai ned i t s 'AA' l o ng -t er m bo nd rat i ng f o r t he Ci t y ' s g eneral o bl i g at i o n ( G O ) bo nds and i t s
publ i c pr o per t y { nance co nt ract ual o bl i g at i o ns , whi ch cat eg o r i zes t he Ci t y as hav i ng a s t abl e o ut l o o k.
The G o v er nm ent F i nance O f { cer s As s o ci at i o n ( G F O A) awar ded t he 25t h co ns ecut i v e y ear D i s t i ng ui s hed B udg et
Pr es ent at i o n Awar d f o r t he { s cal y ear beg i nni ng O ct o ber 1, 2020.
The G o v er nm ent F i nance O f { cer s As s o ci at i o n ( G F O A) awar ded t he 24t h co ns ecut i v e y ear Cer t i { cat e o f Achi ev em ent f o r
Excel l ence i n F i nanci al Repo r t i ng t o t he Ci t y o f B edf o r d f o r i t s Co m pr ehens i v e Annual F i nanci al Repo r t ( CAF R) f o r { s cal
y ear ended S ept em ber 30, 2020.

Mu n icip a l Cou rt
Par t i ci pat ed i n t he 2021 S t at e o f Texas "G r eat Texas War rant Ro und Up" cl ear i ng 415 war rant s , whi l e g enerat i ng $ 86 ,776 .07
i n r ev enue.
Co l l abo rat ed wi t h Li nebar g er , G o g g an, B l ai r , & S am ps o n LLP f o r ar ea s peci { c i ncr eas ed co l l ect i o n ef f o r t s r eg ar di ng
def endant s wi t h o ut s t andi ng war rant s .
Par t i ci pat ed i n t he 2020 Muni ci pal Co ur t s Week wher eby o ur ef f o r t s f o r adv o cat i ng t raf { c s af et y and awar enes s wer e
r eco g ni zed by t he Texas Muni ci pal Co ur t Educat i o n Cent er i n Aus t i n, TX.
Es t abl i s hed v i r t ual co ur t do cket s t o acco m m o dat e def endant s , at t o r ney s , j udg es , and cr i m i nal j us t i ce par t i ci pant s t o
i ns ur e adequat e co m m uni cat i o n dur i ng t he CO V ID -19 pandem i c.
Co nduct ed a ho l i day f o o d dr i v e t o i ncr eas e war rant co m pl i ance and al l o w f o r def endant s t o s t ar t a pay m ent pl an.
Co nduct ed a s cho o l s uppl y dr i v e t o i ncr eas e war rant co m pl i ance and al l o w f o r def endant s t o s t ar t a pay m ent pl an.

Te e n Cou rt
In May 2021, HEB Teen Co ur t Adv i s o r y B o ar d awar ded f o ur t een v o l unt eer s wi t h s cho l ar s hi ps t o t al i ng $ 5,000. Thes e f o ur
t eens pr o v i ded o v er 356 co m m uni t y v o l unt eer ho ur s t o t he HEB Teen Co ur t .
Es t abl i s hed v i r t ual co ur t do cket s and enr o l l m ent s t o acco m m o dat e t een def endant s t o i ns ur e adequat e co m m uni cat i o n
dur i ng t he CO V ID -19 pandem i c.

Cu stom e r Se rvice
Im pl em ent ed Int eract i v e Vo i ce Res po ns e ( IV R) s y s t em t o pay a wat er bi l l o v er t he pho ne. Ther e ar e m ul t i pl e pay m ent
o pt i o ns us i ng t hi s s y s t em i ncl udi ng s o m e added pay m ent f eat ur es ; t he us e o f an el ect r o ni c check, a checki ng acco unt , a
s av i ng s acco unt , D i s co v er , Am er i can Expr es s , Mas t er Car d, V i s a ( D ebi t and/o r Cr edi t ) .
Rat e i ncr eas e i n t he wat er , s ewer , t ras h and r ecy cl i ng rat es , ef f ect i v e Januar y 1, 2021.
Co l l abo rat ed wi t h a t hi r d par t y v endo r t o do a wat er , s ewer and drai nag e rat e s t udy f o r a per i o d o f ( 5) { v e y ear s . A
pr es ent at i o n was pr es ent ed t o t he Ci t y Co unci l f o r a s el ect i o n o f ( 4) f o ur o pt i o ns o v er a ( 5) { v e y ear t i m e f ram e.
Cus t o m er S er v i ce s t af f r ev i ewed al l 15,26 9 acco unt s t o ens ur e each ut i l i t y rat e, m et er t y pe and o t her char g es wer e bei ng
bi l l ed accurat el y .
S t af f r ecei v ed t rai ni ng f o r t he new pl at f o r m and updat es t o t he o nl i ne pay m ent s y s t em .
Par t i ci pat ed and r ecei v ed t rai ni ng wi t h t he new bank i m pl em ent at i o n.
Co l l abo rat ed wi t h t he IT D epar t m ent t o i m pl em ent a Mas s Adj us t m ent pr o ces s t o cr edi t r es i dent i al and apar t m ent
acco unt s a 2,000 g al l o ns wat er cr edi t due t o t he wi nt er s t o r m .
As s i s t ed i n cr eat i ng a pr o g ram t o capt ur e co ns um pt i o n f o r t he m o nt hs o f D ecem ber t hr o ug h Apr i l , di s car di ng t he
hi g hes t m o nt h f o r t he 2021 s ewer av erag i ng .
Expenditures Summary

In F i nance, t he S t rat eg i c S er v i ces Manag er po s i t i o n was m o v ed t o t he F i nance D i v i s i o n, al o ng wi t h t he r el at ed f undi ng f o r
t rai ni ng and dues . Addi t i o nal l y , f undi ng was i ncl uded f o r t he upco m i ng S i ng l e Audi t due t o t he am o unt o f F ederal f undi ng
r ecei v ed dur i ng t he pr ev i o us { s cal y ear .

In No n-D epar t m ent al , budg et am o unt s f o r t he chang es i n em pl o y ee heal t h and dent al i ns urance f o r al l G eneral F und
em pl o y ees wer e pl aced i n t he No n-D epar t m ent al budg et o f bo t h G eneral F und and Wat er F und as s peci { c al l o cat i o ns wer e
no t kno wn at t he t i m e o f budg et ado pt i o n. The Ci t y Co unci l al s o r et ur ned t o pr i nt i ng and m ai l i ng t he B edf o r d Co nnect i o n
t o al l r es i dent s , and t he f undi ng f o r t hi s was r ei ns t at ed i n t he F Y 2022 budg et . F i nance r eques t ed f undi ng f o r t he Ty l er
Co nt ent Manag er m o dul e t o enhance t he acco unt i ng s o f t war e, whi ch was appr o v ed. Ther e wer e al s o i ncr eas es i n t he Leg al
s er v i ces budg et and a new t rans f er f o r t he Li brar y Techno l o g y F und i ncl uded i n t hi s budg et .

City of Bedford, TX | Budget Book 2022 Page 249