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City of Saginaw                             333 West McLeroy
                                                                                     P.O. Box 79070
                                                                                     Saginaw, Texas 76179
                                                                                     817-232-4640
                                                                                     Fax 817-232-4644
                                                                                     www.ci.saginaw.tx.us




                                        CITY MANAGER’S BUDGET MESSAGE

                                                     September 2022




               Honorable Mayor Todd Flippo, City Councilmembers, and Citizens of Saginaw:

               In compliance with the State Statutes and the Charter of the City of Saginaw, I submit to
               you  the  annual  operating  budget  for  fiscal  year  2022/2023.  This  budget  presents  the
               sources   of  revenue  and  the  plan  of  expenditures  for  all  areas  of  the  Saginaw  City
               Government for the year beginning October 1, 2022, and concluding September 30, 2023.


               This  budget  is presented   after  many  hours  of  study  and  review  by  City  staff  and  City
               Council.   Staff  was  asked  to  budget  for  what  is necessary  to  maintain  current  service
               levels and to make recommendations for anticipated increased service levels, both short
               and long term. Budget requests were prioritized and presented to the City Council in a
               series  of  workshops   throughout  the  spring  and  summer.    As  vaccination  rates  have
               increased and social distancing and other restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic
               have   eased,  most  revenues   and   expenditures   are  at  or  above  pre-pandemic  levels,
               including the Aquatic Center which was re-opened this past summer after a 2 year hiatus.

               The annual budget is developed within the context of long-range and strategic planning.
               These plans anticipate funding needs and available revenues and forecast         methods for
               matching future revenues and expenditures.  Due to conservative planning on the part of
               the  City  Council  and  Staff,  the  City  has  been  able  to  absorb  the  impact  of  economic
               swings.  Fund balances built up during economic expansion have been available for one
               time  expenditures.   One   time  expenditures    are  capital  purchases,  projects,  special
               requests  that  are  not  of  a  recurring  nature,  and  development  agreements.    General
               Fund balance at the end of FY 2022/2023 is projected to be $11 million.


               The   City  of  Saginaw  sales  tax  collections  have  been   steadily  increasing.  We   are
               forecasting sales tax revenue to be $6.7 million, which is 14.6% higher than the previous
               year estimate. Unemployment in the area is steadily decreasing.  Other economic activity
               continues   to  expand  at  a  high  pace.  The  regional  outlook  is  optimistic  with  growth
               expectations in the coming year.      Given the city’s diverse tax base and essential food




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