Finance director reports FY25 fund balance of about 87 days; council seeks more transparency
Loading...
Summary
Director Alexander briefed council on the FY25 reconciliation, reporting ~87.11 reserve days across funds after adjustments and describing $15.9M in expenditure amendments and about $20.9M in revenue adjustments; councilors asked for more detailed line-item follow-ups, SPLOST rollovers and monthly dashboards.
City finance director provided a detailed reconciliation for fiscal year 2025 and an early look at the FY26 starting position during the Dec. 9 council meeting.
Director Alexander reported that, pending final audit work, the city will close FY25 with roughly 87.11 reserve days across funds (a composite of general fund and local-option sales-tax–related funds). She told council the administration is finalizing budget adjustments that include roughly $15.9 million in additional appropriations in the general fund and revenue budget increases of about $20.9 million to reflect measurable revenues and other adjustments.
Alexander outlined major overages and additions that prompted the reconciliation: litigation expenses for the city attorney’s office, contractual salary adjustments in the city manager’s office, increased public-works and facilities maintenance costs, juvenile and public-defender expenses, sheriff’s overtime and inmate costs, and election-related overtime and temporary staffing. She also listed capital items that used reserves in FY25: $6 million for jail improvements, $6 million for the judicial center, $4 million for 19th Street flood abatement and $4 million for an uptown pickleball facility.
Council members pressed for more timely and transparent data. They asked for line-item details behind the FY25 overages, explanations for SPLOST carryover balances (including projects still in process such as 19th Street and Liberty District), and web-accessible monthly dashboards for financials and ongoing capital projects. Director Alexander said the department is redesigning the finance web pages and evaluating a third‑party interactive transparency platform for next-year funding.
Council and members noted the administrative policy target of 90 reserve days and the GFOA guidance of a minimum of 60 days; Alexander said the adopted policy remains 60 days as a minimum and 90 days as the administrative target. She emphasized that the FY25 figure is final pending audit adjustments and that staff will provide more detailed breakdowns on request.
