Willows finance committee seeks single general fund reserve, orders apparatus fund and Measure I reporting

WILLOWS CITY — At its July 15, 2025 Finance and Measure I Oversight Committee meeting, members reviewed the city’s financial policies and Measure I receipts and directed staff to return in October with a streamlined general fund reserve policy, regular treasury and investment reports, and a created apparatus replacement fund funded with an immediate $5,000 transfer from the capital reserve.

The discussion focused on four policies adopted in 2020–21 when the city prepared pension obligation bonds and certificates of participation. Bernie Brown, presenting the item for city staff, said the policies were written in part to satisfy bond underwriters and that Willows’ current reserves are “relatively small,” arguing the city should consolidate separate reserve subcategories into a single general fund reserve for now.

Brown said the city’s capital reserve currently shows a $5,000 balance, and he recommended moving that money into an asset-replacement or apparatus fund. “I would like to remove all of these different subcategories and just have a general fund reserve for now,” Brown said. He told the committee staff will prepare reconciled bank statements and a treasury…