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Staff outlines spring 'bump' supplemental budget process and technical mid‑year adjustments
Summary
Budget staff told the Finance Committee the city will use a short spring supplemental (“bump”) to make technical adjustments, carry over unspent program funding and allocate policy set‑asides; staff said the approach is intended to keep funds available to pay obligations and to produce a clean starting ledger for the executive budget.
Ruth Levine, the city’s budget director, and Anthony Locke, a budget analyst and supplemental budget coordinator, presented the Finance Committee with a brief on how the city has historically handled supplemental budgets and a proposed approach for this spring.
Levine said the city has typically used three organized supplemental budget actions: a fall supplemental to true up beginning fund balance; a spring supplemental (the so‑called “bump”) to project year‑end spending and carry forward amounts; and an over‑expenditure ordinance in June to prevent any fund ending the year out of balance. Levine described this year’s spring action as focused on (1) technical adjustments needed to keep bureaus from overexpending, (2) de‑appropriating unspent general fund program carryovers, (3) allocating policy set‑asides such as contingent health‑benefit funding, and (4) conducting a “general fund return” to identify amounts that can be re‑appropriated.
“Part of this is driven by the sort of level at which we budget,” Levine said. “There is a need to do at the very least, some technical adjustments just to be able to keep paying the bills.” She explained the staff workflow that produces a single ordinance so councilors receive one consolidated package rather than many separate requests.
Councilors asked procedural questions: Councilor Green asked whether the phrase “not allow new general fund requests” referred to staff or to council; Levine replied the guidance is primarily to bureaus and staff, noting that requests late in the fiscal year generally cannot be stood up and are typically pushed to the next fiscal year. Chair Zimmerman recommended the committee proceed with the spring bump process and communicate the timeline to bureau directors so they prepare their submissions.
No formal vote was taken on the policy substance of the supplemental budget guidance at the Feb. 24 meeting. Committee members expressed support for using the existing “bump” process this spring and for bringing details to council during the upcoming supplemental‑budget ordinance process.
