Allentown budget committee hears 2024 year-end, January finance report and ERP go‑live plans

Councilperson Napoli convened the Allentown City Budget & Finance Committee and heard a financial report from Miss Patel on the city's year‑end 2024 and January 2025 results, investment positions and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) cash balances, and an information technology update on an enterprise resource planning migration to Munis.

Patel said the city closed the 2024 fiscal year with generally favorable results, reporting modest revenue strength and several categories with expenditure savings. She reported police premium pay expenditures of $2,700,000, fire premium pay of $3,300,000 and EMS premium pay of $860,000 for the year. Patel told the committee the city held liquid cash and investments in the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust (PLGIT) and in TD Bank; she described roughly $36.5 million of the general fund balance as invested in PLGIT, with about $30 million in term investments maturing on staggered dates. Patel also described the ARPA cash position as several million dollars held in PLGIT term investments and in TD Bank accounts for vendor payments.

Patel reviewed other fund activity, saying the solid waste fund and stormwater fund showed small revenue increases and expenditure savings, the rental fund exceeded budgeted revenue, and the golf fund ended the year with stronger-than-expected revenue. She said the city created a new building code fund this year to track related fees and expenditures separately.

On capital projects, Patel said the quarter‑4 capital report covered activity in public works, information technology and parks and recreation; she reported fourth‑quarter capital expenditures of $1.5 million and $7.0 million in encumbrances for future spending. She told the committee that one final vendor payment for 2024 was expected at the end of the week to close the year, and that a final December report would be provided the following month after that payment.

Jerry from the IT department updated the committee on the city's ERP implementation. He said the planned go‑live date to transition from Eden to Munis is March 18; after that date Eden will no longer be functional for day‑to‑day transactions, though historical data will remain available for queries. He said the city plans to implement payroll and human resources modules by the end of the year.

Councilperson Napoli and other committee members asked for clarifications during the report; Patel indicated she would provide the final December closing after the week's vendor payments. No formal votes or motions were recorded during the meeting. Councilperson Napoli closed the meeting by saying, "This will adjourn our budget and finance committee meeting."