Presentation

City of Chandler — Work Session (2021-02-11)

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Council Chambers
Thursday, February 11, 2021 | 4:30 p.m.
FY 2021-22 
Budget Workshop #1

Agenda
• Financial Outlook 
• FY 2021-22 Budget Outlook
• FY 2020-21 National, State, and Local Economic 
Quarterly Update
• FY 2021-22 Preliminary Budget
• 5-Year Ongoing General Fund Forecast
• Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) 
• Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
• Property Tax 
• Key Budget Dates
• Closing remarks

Financial Outlook

FY 2021-22 Budget 
Theme
“Moving Forward Together”
Our Vision
We are a world-class City that 
provides an exceptional 
quality of life

FY 2021-22
Financial Outlook
•
Economy is in extended recovery mode from 
COVID-19 impacts
•
Growth of sustainable (ongoing) revenues 
potentially resetting based on new 
demand/trends
•
Development revenues continue contributing to 
one-time General Fund, but at a slower rate
•
Cautious that potential State legislative and 
Federal actions may threaten City revenues

• Maintains AAA Bond Ratings from Moody’s, 
Fitch, and S&P rating agencies
• Continue adherence to all fiscal policies
• Continue pay-down of pension obligations
• Structurally balanced
• Ongoing revenues support ongoing expenditures
• One-time revenues support one-time expenditures
• Maintain strong reserves
• 15% General Fund contingency reserve
• Budget Stabilization Reserve at a minimum of $10M
• Manage expenditure growth
• Maintain existing services
• Maintain infrastructure
Sound Budgeting Practices
Support Financially
Sustainable Goal

Strong Fiscal Foundations
Move Us Forward
•Operating Management
•Capital Management
•Reserves (Jan. 26, 2017) (Mar. 22, 2018)
•Debt Management
•Long-Range Financial Planning
•Grant Management
•Investment
•Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting
•Pension Funding (June 11, 2020)
Financial Policies
(Revised and adopted by Council January 14, 2016)

National and State 
Economic Update

Construction Spend: +3.8% above 
November 2019
Economic Indicators
Business Formation Statistics: just over 
1.1M new businesses added in Q4
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail & Food 
Service: +0.6% from prior month
Manufacturing & Trade Inventories: 
+1.32% from prior month
https://www.census.gov/economic-indicators/

National, State and local 
Unemployment
Economic Forecast
Bureau of Labor Statistics: bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm & bls.gov/eag/eag.az.htm & 
azcommerce.com/oeo/labor-market/unemployment/

2020 4th Quarter Base Forecast
Economic Forecast
https://www.azeconomy.org/data/forecast-data/

City of Chandler
“Quarterly” Update

Building Permit Trend Analysis
• Permit numbers remain 
strong
• Adding to one-time

Business Opening/Closing Analysis
Metrics gathered from Business 
Registration data
Businesses continue to register in the
new online portal:
Closed from Mar. to Dec. : 213 
Registered from Mar. to Dec. : 597
Net newly registered Businesses: 384*
* Renewal process helps distinguish between brand new 
businesses, and those that are just newly registered, 
providing a better picture as to new business starts

Past Due Residential Utility Trend Analysis

Delinquent utility accounts/balances that 
meet turn-off criteria has increased through 
Dec. 2020

Continue working with Neighborhood 
Resources and non-profit partners on 
outreach for utility assistance
•
Soft account notices began 10/19/20 
and continue, but still no 
disconnections or late fees 
•
Anticipate resuming disconnects 
Monday, May 3, 2021

FY 2020-21 Revenue Update
General Fund Year-to-Date Revenues
FY 2020-21 Results 
through December 2020
Actual revenue $133M
5.6% or $7M above same 
period prior year
COVID reduced Budget 
prorated based on 
historical trend $114M
Actuals above COVID 
reduced budget: $19M or 
16.6%

Chandler maintains a strong financial position
“I take the task of making sure we come in under budget very seriously, and to everyone’s point, we will
meet the budget according to the revenues we receive.”           Marsha Reed, City Manager,  April 24, 2020
FY 2020-21 Results through 
December 2020
Actual spending $119K lower than 
prior year
47.9% of COVID reduced 
budget spent
vs.
44.9% of prior year budget 
spent (less PSPRS payment)
Expenditures continue to be 
tracked closely
Excludes Reserves and  Non-Departmental Contingencies
FY 2020-21 Expenditure Update

Preliminary 
5-Year Ongoing 
General Fund Forecast

Annual General Fund Revenues and Expenditures
Annual Inflows
Annual Outflows 
85% Local taxes and licenses and 
State shared revenues
6% Charges for services (i.e., parks, rec., 
building, planning, library)
3% Misc. Receipts (i.e., Interest Inc., fines, 
leases, surplus sales)
6% Property tax and Indirect costs
77% Personnel (Wages/Benefits)
Ongoing Base Budget (i.e., Ops./maint., 
supplies, utilities)
One-time decision package needs (i.e., 
consultants, pilot programs)
Transfers to replacement funds
If Revenues exceed Expenditures, General Fund Balance increases

Preliminary 5-Year Ongoing
General Fund Forecast
Chandler continues to be Structurally Balanced
The ongoing forecast reflects expenditures that are supported by sustainable revenue growth

Preliminary Ongoing General 
Fund Forecast - Revenues
FY 2021-22 preliminary
revenues are $267.9M
Over 86% is vulnerable to
economic volatility
FY 2020-
21
FY 2021-
22
Ongoing
One-time
Increases by 2.6% ($5.6M) over prior
year ongoing
Higher one-time revenue results in 
lower ongoing %
Local Sales Tax support 54% and 
State shared supports 29% of total
18% ($47.9M) of total revenues 
considered one-time
Forecasting gradual ongoing 
growth of 1.8% to 2.6%
Continued development/retail 
affecting sales tax collections and 
permit revenue
Revenues based on actuals through December 2020
Addl’ data from League & County on next update
82%
85%

Ongoing and One-Time Sales Tax Revenues
Ongoing sales tax 
revenues reflect 
growth over time
One-time sales 
tax revenues 
fluctuate due to 
economic 
volatility

Preliminary 5-Year Ongoing General Fund Forecast
Personnel Expenditures
Carefully Tracked
Largest ongoing 
expenditure (77% of 
total exp. & 0.4% over 
prior year personnel)
Position counts 
unchanged: Total all 
funds 1,694 FTE (81.5% 
General Fund)
Cost Adjustments
Included
Benefits changes: 
Health, Retirement 
(ASRS and PSPRS), & 
Workers Comp
FY 2021-22 MOU chgs: 
Police/Fire Merit (5%) 
Fire Market (0.75%) 
Police Shift diff (+$.10)
Cost Adjustments 
Excluded
No FY 2021-22 General 
Employee merits & 
markets (No market 
given to Generals in FY 
2020-21)
No merits or markets 
included FY 2022-23 & 
beyond for any 
employee
Major Impacts
Increased General Fund 
vacancies from 59 to 
85 (+44%) (Vacancy 
savings rate under 
review)
10 add’l Public Safety 
sworn entered DROP 
(reduced PSPRS 
employer contrib.)

Preliminary 5-Year Ongoing General Fund Forecast 
Expenditures
FY 2021-22 Department General Fund 
decision packages under review
• $6.0M ongoing requests
• $8.1M one-time requests
• Includes 22 positions requests
Other Expenditure Projections Unchanged from Prior Year 
Forecast
• Department ongoing base budgets unchanged
• Reestablished Council Contingency ($75K ongoing and $325K 
one-time)
• O&M on projected capital projects based on current CIP
• Self Insurance fund contribution projections unchanged
Remaining Ongoing Surplus of $2.1M Uses
• Change general employee wages/benefit
(impacts hiring & retention)
• Maintain, enhance, or add to existing service levels
(utilities, service contracts, supplies, staffing)
Prioritize Ongoing Demands
(Maintain > Enhance > New)

Determine Priorities for One-Time Dollars
Reduction of 
Pension Debt
Replenish 
Reserves
Operations  & 
Maintenance
Maintain 
Existing Capital
New
Capital

Public Safety Personnel 
Retirement System Update

PSPRS  Net Unfunded Liability Balances Update
Jun-19
Jun-20
Difference
% Change
Chandler
$180M
$171M
-$9M
-5.0%
Gilbert
$61M
$42M
-$19M
-31.1%
Glendale
$272M
$290M
$18M
6.6%
Mesa
$654M
$691M
$37M
5.6%
Peoria
$103M
$109M
$6M
5.8%
Phoenix
$3,154M
$3,381M
$227M
7.1%
Scottsdale
$190M
$216M
$26M
13.6%
Tempe
$319M
$343M
$24M
7.5%

PSPRS Actuarial Report
Results 6/30/20
Normal portion of contribution      28%
Unfunded portion of contribution 72%
Unfunded Liability decreased $9.4M 
from Prior Year’s total of $180.5M
Police 
$114.4M
Fire
$  56.7M
$171.1M
Employer Contribution decreased $340K
from Prior Year’s total of $19.4M
Police
$  12.8M
Fire
$    6.3M
$  19.1M

FY 2020-21 Pay-Down
Plan Benefits 
(point in time in 2019 modeler)
Assumed all actuarial corrections made
Making additional payments up front:
• The annual Employer Contributions are reduced 
$113.4M over 17 years
• Unfunded Liability is $20M less by year 17 
Total Savings $133.4M for an 
investment of $67.7M
______________________________________________________
_
New 2020 PSPRS modeler received beginning of 
February 2021 with actuarial updates

PSPRS Contributions in 
FY 2020-21 One-Time Forecast
Recommend  
continuing 
planned 
commitment of 
additional annual 
one-time payments 
to reduce PSPRS 
pension liability
Increase when 
possible of offset 
investment losses

Results are Slow but Effective
• Pay-down plan formulated 2015
• Overpayments began FY 2016-17 with $38.2M reflected 
thru 6/30/20 actuarial report, and $15M FY 2020-21 
overpayment reflected in next report
• Unfunded liability and rates are going down by staying 
the course
• Chandlers funded levels have increased
Police lowest 52.9%, now 62.7%
Fire lowest 61%, now 68.6%
6/30/20 Assumptions
•
Assumed investment rate of return of 7.3% 
unchanged 
•
Actual only 5.4% smoothed over 7 years
•
Payroll growth assumption of 3.5% too high
•
Beginning FY 2022-23:  7 year plan to 
reduce 0.5%/year
•
Started layered amortization approach for 
investment gains/losses

Preliminary Capital
Improvement Plan 
(CIP)

Fiscal Foundations – Moving Us Forward
Current 10-Year CIP Council Guidelines
• Council CIP guidance
• Minimize increase in property taxes
• Maintain existing infrastructure
• Finish planned construction of streets 
and parks
• Limit new projects adding ongoing 
operations & maintenance 
• Address public needs

Continue Focus on Chandler’s 
Aging Infrastructure
Maintaining 
high quality of 
life for our 
266,800 
residents
+Sustainable plans for fleet, equipment & technology
65 square 
miles
2,090 miles
of streets
30,000
streetlights
225 
signalized
intersections
1,228 miles 
of potable 
water lines
941 miles 
of sanitary 
sewer
67 
developed 
parks 
(1,281 acres)
48 lighted 
fields
51 
municipal 
buildings
781 fleet 
vehicles/trucks
31 
operating 
wells

Capital Projects Under Review
in the 10-Year Plan
•
Various community/regional park improvements
•
Remaining arterial street projects, Alma School, Ocotillo Road and 
Chandler Heights Road projects
•
Existing street, park, facility and utility infrastructure maint.
•
Technology and fiber projects
•
Public Safety projects and maintenance of replacement of capitalized 
equipment
•
Fire station 2 construction
•
Critical Airport needs, including Cooper Road collector
•
Utility infrastructure rehab/replacements
Leaving secondary tax rate flat at $0.87 with a 
4% estimated increase in assessed value, 
generates $1.1M for debt service on bonds
A bond election will be needed to support all the projects in the 
CIP

Preliminary Property 
Tax Update
Assessed Values Not 
Yet Received

Property Tax Rate Comparison
FY 2020-21
(per $100 of Assessed Valuation)
0.9896
1.0415
1.1171
1.1201
1.4400
1.8012
2.1296
2.3959
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
Gilbert*
Scottsdale
Mesa*
Chandler
Peoria
Glendale
Phoenix
Tempe
Dollars
* Do not have a primary property tax rate, only secondary rate

38
Impact of FY 2020-21 Tax Rate 
Reduction 
on Median Value Homeowner
Increases on Primary property tax rate are capped at 5%
Anticipate Assessed Values for FY 2021-22 by 2nd week in February

Breakdown of $1 of Typical Chandler 
Property Tax Bill
Typical Tax Bill
Cents from Every Dollar Taxed
City of Chandler 9.8 cents
Public Schools and Community 
College Districts 67.5 cents
Maricopa County & Special Districts
22.7 cents
Based on 2019 Tax Bill information. Exact split will vary depending on the 
school district and any other special taxing districts on the bill.

Key Budget Dates

Questions?