FY2021 Budget

maintained a conservative approach to recommending major changes to the base budget. The FY 2020 adopted budget included a more significant request for additional staff to meet increasing identified needs. This “right-sizing” of staff needs, as well as requests for expanded operational and program support continues in the FY 2021 budget and is expected to continue in future budget years. Many of these increases are in departments providing direct citizen programming and engagement in the community. Basic routine services and recurring expenses (excluding transfers, contributions and grants, and capital outlay) are approximately $32.5 million annually at current operational service levels. This amount includes the annualized impact of market pay adjustments authorized by Town Council in March 2020 in response to the comprehensive job classification study and in support of recruitment and retention goals for our staff. I am especially grateful for Town Council’s unwavering recognition of the value of our staff in accomplishing the mission, vision, and goals on their behalf to our town. Proposed additions to recurring and routine expenditures to the base operating budget are $2.4million for FY 2021 and represents a 7.4% increase to the base operating budget. Of this amount, $1.4 million represents additional investment in human capital that is essential to meet workload demand, and approximately $1,000,000 is for operational initiatives and ongoing costs. The FY 2021 budget provides additional funding above the base operating budget to support $3.2 million in priorities that enhance accomplishment of the strategic plan, maintain and improve Town infrastructure, and support targeted programs and initiatives established as priorities by Town Council. Over 57% of budget priority recommendations remain one-time or nonrecurring items that address targeted needs. There is no new debt recognized in the FY 2021 proposed operating budget. Funds set aside to support debt service payments have been included in the proposed Debt Service Fund. The Debt Service Fund will recapture retired debt capacity to be used for new debt (when approved by voters or Town Council); enhance our debt financing capacity when exploring available debt instruments; and will facilitate accomplishment of CIP and strategic infrastructure investment goals. The debt service ratio to general fund expenditures is approximately 9% of the FY 2021 proposed spending. Debt service for McCrimmon Parkway Phase II, MAFC renovations and the Town’s cost share of $2.7 million for the Morrisville-Carpenter Road project are included in the FY 2021 proposed budget. Expenditures have been categorized into major types and focus areas to assist in review of budget requests. A budget priorities summary narrative provides detail and justification. Discussion of alternate tax rate scenarios will be incorporated into FY 2021 budget presentations and work sessions.

Personnel Expenditures

The Town of Morrisville continues to have growing workload demands to serve the community and our own internal operations. Preliminary position forecasts illustrate continuing needs in the next two to five years. All requests are prioritized and considered through a deliberate and timed

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