Page 178 - FY 2021-22 Adopted Budget file_Neat
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CAPITAL AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT POLICY

               The  City  is  responsible  for  the  planning,  development,  acquisition,  construction,  and  maintenance  of
               critical  capital  and  technology  infrastructure  that  ensures  the  health,  safety,  and  well-being  of  its
               residents. The City’s investment in these assets and infrastructure is essential to promote and improve its
               ongoing economic development and vitality. The Office of the City Administrative Officer is responsible for
               developing  an  Annual  Capital  and  Technology  Improvement  Expenditure  Program  that  the  City
               incorporates  into  the  annual  budget  development  process.  In  order  to  make  sound  and  informed
               decisions regarding projects with costs that span multiple years, the City will quantify and capture, to the
               extent possible, project costs over a five-year term and present it in a five-year Capital and Technology
               Improvement Plan. The City will update this Plan on an annual basis, incorporating approved projects.

               The City will, to the extend feasible, invest an annual minimum target of 1.5 percent of the General Fund
               revenue  for  new  capital  projects,  maintenance  of  existing  assets,  and  information  technology
               improvements.


                                        PENSION AND RETIREMENT FUNDING POLICY

               The  City  has  made  a  commitment  to  its  past  and  current  employees  to  provide  ongoing  pension
               payments  and  healthcare  subsidies  to  them  during  their  retirement.  To  fulfill  this  commitment,  and
               consistent  with  the  City  Charter,  the  City  must  make  annual  contributions  to  the  Los  Angeles  City
               Employees’  Retirement  System  (LACERS)  and  the  Los  Angeles  Fire  and  Police  Pension  System
               (LAFPP) as part of the budget. These contributions will fully fund these two systems based on annual
               actuarial studies. It is important that the City continue to meet this commitment to ensure that the costs
               associated with current services are borne at the current time. To this end, this Policy recognizes the risks
               associated with mechanisms through which the City could defer contributions to future years. This policy
               also establishes a discretionary use for any true-up credit adjustment, and dictates the City’s use of any
               savings in the case that either pension system is overfunded.


                                             GENERAL FUND RESERVES POLICY

               The  General  Fund  Reserves  Policy  provides  guidelines  on  the  purpose,  sizing,  uses,  and  restoration
               requirements of the Reserve Fund (both the Emergency and Reserve accounts), the Budget Stabilization
               Fund, and the Unappropriated Balance line item for mid-year adjustments. Taken together, these three
               accounts  compose  the  City’s  General  Fund  reserves.  The  Policy  is  intended  to  ensure  that  the  City
               maintains sufficient reserves for unanticipated expenditures or revenue shortfalls, to preserve flexibility
               throughout the fiscal year to make adjustments in funding for programs approved in connection with the
               annual budget, and to prepare the City for potential revenue challenges. The objective is for the City to be
               in a strong fiscal position to weather future economic downturns and financial challenges.

               The Reserve Fund balance must be equal to five percent of the General Fund revenues with a minimum
               of 2.75 percent in the Emergency Reserve Account and any additional funds allocated to the Contingency
               Reserve Account. This Policy sets a goal that the cumulative balances of the Reserve Fund, the Budget
               Stabilization Fund, and the Unappropriated Balance line item for mid-year adjustments will be equal to ten
               percent of General Fund revenues

               Emergency Reserve Account

               To use funds from the Emergency Reserve Account, a finding by the Mayor with confirmation by at least
               two thirds of the Council of “urgent economic necessity” will be required as well as a determination that no
               other viable sources of funds are available. A finding of urgent economic necessity would be based on a
               significant economic downturn after the budget is adopted, a natural disaster, or another significant event
               requiring the expenditure of resources.

               Contingency Reserve Account

               In the event that there are unanticipated expenses or revenue shortfalls impacting programs approved in
               the current year budget and the exhaustion of any funds in the Unappropriated Balance line item for mid-
               year adjustments, the Contingency Reserve Account will be the source of any additional funding for those
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