Page 31 - FortWorthFY23AdoptedBudget

Executive Message

GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES

General Fund Expenditure Budget
Adopted Adopted Percent Dollar
FY2022 FY2023 Change Change
$831,934,777 $915,340,881 10.03% $83,406,104

For FY2023, General Fund expenditures are held in line with revenues. The City strategized to streamline spending,
assessing priorities across the organization, and identifying cost savings while also addressing cleanliness and
safety concerns for operations. Variances or fluctuations in budgeted categories may be greater than in prior years
due to this strategic implementation. However, despite identified savings, some costs continue to increase due to
a variety of factors, including rising costs of supplies and contractual services, additional facilities becoming
operational, improving equity of city services, and enhancing public safety.

Salary and Benefits Changes. The following salary and benefits changes are included in the FY2023 Budget:
· Police Civil Service employees will receive salary increases in accordance with the Meet and Confer
Bargaining Contract.
· Fire Civil Service employees will receive salary increases in accordance with the recently renewed
Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City and the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters
Association.
· Pay for performance for general employees is reinstated and budgeted at four percent, after being
discontinued in FY2021 (Ranges 0-7% with anticipated cost of 4%).

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
The FY2023 Budget includes numerous actions that move the city forward under the guidance of the FY2023
Budget Principles and Management Plan. Included below are highlights of those changes.

After freezing budgets and eliminating positions in FY2021, department leadership, budget staff, and city
management identified and agreed upon necessary service levels in direct response to the landscape changed by
the pandemic. Approximately half the number of authorized positions cut in FY2021 were added in FY2022, many
of which were reclassified or reorganized to reflect the changes to service delivery. This analysis and thoughtful
planning produced significant savings to reduce and maintain lower operating costs. Due to the sustained
increases in development and population, the City added over three-hundred positions in FY2023.

The City continues to work towards a lower property tax rate to encourage commercial development and decrease
the tax burden on residents and businesses. To that end, the City of Fort Worth property tax rate is being lowered
two cents to $0.7125 per $100 of assessed value. There is still an increase in levy based on the increase in property
values.

The City maintains and purchases capital items through the use of PAYG capital funding. The City increased the
portion of the maintenance and operations rate set aside for PAYG by one-half cent. This increase coupled with
rising property values allows the City to make significant changes to service delivery, specifically concerning
streetlights and pavement markings. PAYG capital funding increases by an additional appropriation of a little
over $14.3 million in FY2023.

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