Finance Director Jen presented a reformatted monthly finance report to the Pataskala City Finance Committee and discussed the budget schedule, prompting committee members to request clarifications on fund transfers and a utility-billing overpayment account.

The finance director said the reworked report is intended to “get the meat and potatoes of the city” and to make key data easier for committee members to review. The draft format presented includes an executive summary, a traffic-light indicator (green/yellow/red) for account lines, a page showing major revenue streams (property tax, fines, special assessments, income tax receipts), an expenses page, a fund-balance summary (beginning balance, month-to-date and year-to-date revenue and expenses, encumbrances and ending balance) and an investments page that lists holdings and sweep accounts referenced in the meeting.

Committee members asked the finance director for additional detail and clearer labels so readers can tell whether numbers are month-to-date, year-to-date or beginning-of-year balances. One member asked whether an account shown with a negative balance represented remaining debt; the finance director confirmed she would look into that. Committee members also raised a question about the utility-billing overpayment fund, noting a beginning balance cited as roughly $17,000 and year-to-date revenue of about $1,700, which a member summarized as producing an $18,000 balance; the finance director said she would verify those figures and clarify the presentation.

On internal presentation choices, the finance director said she had consulted the Julian Group and other municipal finance directors in producing a shorter, 5–7 page format and that she plans to reuse the predecessor’s budget template for this initial year while she completes reconciliations. The director told the committee she would respond to follow-up questions by email and may request additional finance-committee meetings while preparing the first budget under her leadership.

Committee members discussed the budget schedule and agreed that the committee and staff should allow some flexibility around deadlines because the new finance director is still completing reconciliations and consolidating departmental budgets. Members suggested holding an additional meeting in mid-September to review items that may require special attention before the workshop and first reading process.

The committee concluded the meeting with a motion to adjourn that passed; recorded votes noted Roman and Oliver voting yes. The meeting record did not identify who made or seconded the motion.

The discussion was procedural and preparatory: no ordinance, resolution or formal budget action was taken during the session. The finance director and committee members identified follow-up tasks — verification of several fund balances, clearer column labels on the fund-balance summary, and scheduling a short meeting in mid-September to review consolidated departmental budgets — but no formal votes or policy decisions were adopted.