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Committee delays vote on expanding Financial Advisory Commission duties after staff, members raise timing and scope concerns
Summary
A proposed ordinance to expand the Financial Advisory Commission’s duties was discussed at length; staff raised concerns about prescriptive requirements, timing (October 1 deadline), and redundancy with existing reports. The item was postponed to July 2 for further amendment and review.
The Finance Committee on June 4 debated an ordinance (12/25) that would expand the duties of the Financial Advisory Commission and require an early budget-related report. Committee members, staff and commission members raised concerns about scope, duplicative work, the use of "shall" language, and the practicality of an October 1 deadline for a spending-affordability report. The committee voted to postpone the item to the July 2 meeting.
Alderman Arnett, sponsor of the ordinance (referred to in discussion), seeks a more active advisory role for the commission; supporters said the commission originally was composed of members with strong financial backgrounds and could add value. Several members of the committee and staff said many of the proposed duties overlap with the finance director’s role and with a spending‑affordability report the city already produces. "A lot of what is being asked here seems to be the duties of a good finance director," one alderman said.
Budget staff raised concerns about the ordinance's prescriptive language. Jake Trudeau, budget manager, recommended changing "shall" requirements to "should" in some places to preserve flexibility and avoid statutory non‑compliance. Staff told the committee they had contacted RESI (a vendor used by the county) and RESI declined to provide the work because it overlapped with their county work, underscoring execution risks and potential additional expense. Finance staff noted the city's audit and financial‑closing timeline: the financial year does not close until September and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (ACFR) target has historically been December, making an October 1 deadline challenging.
Committee members also raised governance questions about how advisory commissions are used and whether the city should conduct a broader strategic review of boards and commissions to ensure volunteer time is well used. The committee asked staff to propose amendments and to consult the finance director and assistant city manager on language changes. Several members urged postponement to allow sponsor Alderman Arnett and staff to refine the ordinance; the committee voted to postpone consideration to the July 2 finance committee meeting.
