TITLE
Title
COVID-19 RESPONSE FLEXIBILITY - ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS AND AMEND MANAGER'S TRANSFER AUTHORITY
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Marty Lawing
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BACKGROUND
Background
As the county responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, additional budgetary flexibility is needed to ensure the County Manager can address initial emerging issues on a timely basis. While the county anticipates future federal reimbursements for any additional expenses incurred in response to the national emergency, the current budget does not include sufficient budget authority to support the significant additional costs of emergency response. This item requests (1) an appropriation of $1 million of anticipated Federal/State funds (CARES Funding) to the County Administration - Manager's Contingency budget and (2) a temporary amendment of the Manager's authority to transfer funds from the Manager's Contingency to departments and from one department to another within the same fund. Currently, during a local state of emergency, section VIII.C. of the FY 2020 Budget Ordinance restricts the Manager's transfers from contingency to no more than $90,000 for each expenditure and transfers between departments to no more than $100,000 per transaction. Transfers must be reported to the Board at its next regular meeting. This item recommends allowing the Manager to make transfers from contingency and/or between departments in the same fund in support of COVID-19-related expenditures in any amount. All transfers will continue to be reported to the Board at its next regular meeting. This authority would expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Additional flexibility for next fiscal year will be included in the proposed FY 2021 Budget Ordinance.
Additional budget increases may be required as the situation evolves.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
Budget Ordinance Amendment
General Fund
$1,000,000 Increase Federal/State Funds (Anticipated CARES Funding)
$1,000,000 Increase County Administration (Manager's Contingency)
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Increase the County Administration (Manager's Contingency) budget by $1,000,000 and increase Federal/State funds (anticipated CARES Funding) by the same amount to provide additional budget authority to allow the County Manager to address emerging COVID-19-related issues and amend Section VIII.C. of the FY 2020 Budget Ordinance as follows:
That during a Locally or Nationally Declared State of Emergency, the County Manager is authorized to (1) make expenditures from the contingency appropriation in the General Fund for items not specifically provided for elsewhere in I. through IV. inclusive of this ordinance in any amount the amounts not to exceed $90,000 for each expenditure; (2) transfer moneys from one appropriation to another within the same fund in any amount up to $100,000 per transaction; except that funds appropriated are restricted to a response to or recovery from a declared State of Emergency; and (3) expedite and modify current county purchasing and contract processes to meet the life safety and recovery needs during a declared State of Emergency within applicable state laws. Any actions exercised according to this section shall be reported to the Board of Commissioners at its next regular meeting.
This authority would expire at the end of the current fiscal year with additional flexibility for next fiscal year included in the proposed FY 2021 Budget Ordinance.
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