Page 135 - City of Watauga FY22 Adopted Budget

BUDGET-OVERVIEW

previously, the City is striving to restore positions that were unfunded as a cost saving
measure in in FY2019-2020 and FY2020-2021. A total of 7.75 full-time equivalent
positions were added to the general fund this year, of which 5.5 full-time equivalents were
restored and funded. In addition, the Traffic Safety program and traffic officer positions
were moved into the General Fund due to the Texas Legislature discontinuing the use of
photographic enforcement cameras. Additional personnel expenditures are budgeted
due to the SAFER grant funding percentage being reduced from 75% to 35% in the
second half of FY2021-2022. Additionally, the CARES grant funding that provided salary
expenses for COVID response activities in FY2019-2020 and FY2020-2021 ended in
December 2020. This added to the increase of salary expenses for the Fire Department
and Police Department in FY2021-2022. In the FY2021-2022 budget, medical
insurance costs were increased by 2%. A 3% salary increase, and civil service step
increases are also included in the adopted budget. Police and Fire expenditures make
up 52% of the General Fund Budget.

The General Fund expenditures include $40,000 of contingency funds for unforeseen
events or emergency purchases during the year. Transfers will be made this year to the
Capital Projects Fund to pay for the debt service for the Rufe Snow Street Project, a City
of North Richland Hills project, and miscellaneous engineering services. These costs had
been covered by Capital Projects Fund reserves created by interest earnings over the
past several years. A transfer from General Fund to other funds include a transfer to the
Capital Projects Fund for sidewalk replacements in the amount of $100,000 and a transfer
to equipment replacement in the amount of $30,000 for technology upgrades.

Beginning in the FY2020-2021 budget process and continuing this year, all line items in
non-departmental division were evaluated and have been moved to the managing

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