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Finance director seeks fund-level budget control, drops rigid submission dates
Summary
Finance Director Tomo Oku proposed eliminating fixed budget submission dates and changing the legal level of budgetary control from department to fund level to improve transparency and enable better financial management; council approved waiving first reading and introducing the ordinance.
Finance Director Tomo Oku asked the council to amend the budget ordinance to remove fixed submission deadlines (March 1 to city manager, April 30 to council) and to change the legal level of budgetary control from department-level to fund-level. Oku said statutory constraints and timing of audited financial statements and midyear presentations make preset submission dates operationally difficult.
On the legal level of control, Oku explained that fund-level control aligns budgeting with financial reporting and grant compliance and reduces the risk of commingling funds that carry distinct restrictions. "Budgeting at the fund level provides a more clear and transparent view of how resources are allocated and spent," Oku said. Council members asked about the schedule for the budget study sessions; staff confirmed two sessions in May with adoption scheduled for June 24–30.
Council moved and approved a motion to waive first reading and introduce the proposed ordinance changes. Members emphasized they want sufficient time to review departmental impacts and to avoid compressing deliberation into late June.
