Budgetary Controls

SUMMARY: Revises the budgeting process of the City to require that all non-budgeted expenditures over$1,000 must be introduced by individual resolution, allow for public discussion, and be voted upon as a matter of public record; that all funding items designated as “other,” “emergency,” or “miscellaneous” funds are to be nonallocated and held in the general or reserve fund; and that all unspent, budgeted or allocated funds will bereturned to the city general or reserve at the end of the fiscal year.

Why Is This Amendment Needed?

City management and elected officials are addicted to spending. Years of bad ideas, poor decisions and uncontrolled spending have resulted in Daytona Beach being one of the highest taxed cities in the state, spending over $100 million dollars more, than most other Florida cities with similar populations.

One of the ways our money is wasted is through the use of a ‘Consent Agenda’ during each City Commission meeting. This is a pre-determined list of spending that the City Commission gives one vote of ‘consent’ for, with no public discussion of the items listed. Many of the Consent Agenda items were never included in the city budget, resulting in excess spending of millions of our tax dollars. The Consent Agenda for each City Commission meeting is available on the City of Daytona Beach website (www.cidaytona-beach.fla.us/) under City Commission Agenda. Here’s an example of the undiscussed, excess spending that’s occurred in 2007: January $2,665,532, February $401,985, March $5,615,858 + $757,218, April $1,280,063 + $1,180,372, May $199,369 + $8,938,484, June $10,576,646 + 267,314, Total $31,882,841. That’s only for six months!

Another way our money is wasted is by allocating (assigning) it to various city departments without a specific spending purpose, under categories such as ‘emergency,’ ‘other’ or ‘miscellaneous.’ This money can then be spent or transferred without City Commission vote or approval. (See List of Shame-$7 million dollar ‘other’ listing in city utility department)

City management transferred almost $50 million in 2006 to make money losing projects and departments appear more profitable and less costly. Money for ‘emergency,’ ‘other,’ or miscellaneous,’ needs should be kept in the General Fund, transferred and spent only by vote of the City Commission.

(Click here to view proposed changes to charter)