General Fund Use of Funds

The General Fund accounts for all expenses not required to be accounted for in other funds. This includes the expenses for services such as Police, Fire, Parks, Streets, Community Development, City Council and all other administrative Services.

Salary & Benefits account for 69% of total General Fund expenses. This includes 196.50 of the total 247 city employees. Services & Supplies accounts for the second largest expense category at 13% and includes all of the supplies and professional services utilized in the general functions of the city. Maintenance & Repair includes costs associated with maintaining equipment and facilities as well as drainage and roadways within the city limits. Miscellaneous expenses include the General Fund line-item contingency of $300,000.

General Fund Expenses are expected to increase 18.31% for Fiscal Year 2023. Approximately 60% of the increase in operating expenses is the addition of 18 new full-time equivalents. Other items impacting this budget are covered in the department summaries below.

GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENT SUMMARIES

CITY COUNCIL

The City Council is the legislative body for the city, functioning under the Home Rule Charter adopted November 4, 1997. The department provides funding related to the administration of the legislative function.

With several new City Council members, funding was increased for education and training, uniforms, and travel.

ENGINEERING

The Engineering Department is responsible for ensuring that capital and operation projects follow City and NCTCOG design standards. In addition, the department acts as the flood plain administrator to guarantee the National Flood Insurance Program is secured.

The major increase in this department is for new water and sewer modeling as well as GIS maintenance of engineering record drawings.

The City Attorney is appointed by and answerable to the City Council, as representatives of the City of Forney. The increase in this budget is for personnel cost for the two employees.

CITY MANAGER

The City Manager’s Office is responsible for the overall administration and coordination of all City departments and functions, assuring that the City Council policies are implemented, and legal requirements are met. The department also serves as the primary contact between the City Council and City departments and is responsible for advising the City Council regarding policy decisions. During Fiscal Year 2022 a Communications and Marketing Department was created from employees in the City Manager’s Department. Therefore, expenses in this department will decrease 25.46% for Fiscal Year 2023.

CITY SECRETARY

The City Secretary department provides administrative support to the legislative function of the city. The department oversees preparation of the City Council agendas and minutes and enrolls laws adopted by the City Council. The department is also responsible for election administration, records retention, processing requests for public information and coordinating the appointment process for Boards & Commissions.

This department was created during Fiscal Year 2022 to develop internal and external communications and assist managing citizen participation initiatives. This department also oversees media relations, the City’s website, social media, newsletters, and video content.

MUNICIPAL COURT

The Municipal Court department has jurisdiction over all fine-only offenses committed within the Forney city limits. These offenses include Class C misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and City code violations. The court collects fines, conducts trials, and issues warrants of arrest. The Municipal Court Judge also arraigns prisoners and performs other magistrate duties.

FINANCE

The Finance department is responsible for safeguarding the City’s financial resources by maintaining central accounting records and bank accounts, disbursing all City obligations, annual budget and audit preparations, financial forecasting and overseeing the City’s investment policy. The increase is related to sales tax incentive agreements approved by City Council with local home builders.

The Police department protects the lives and property of the citizens through the enforcement of state and local laws and the use of established crime prevention techniques. The department is staffed with certified peace officers and trained civilian employees who work in the areas of patrol, criminal investigation, emergency dispatch, and department administration.

The Police department is adding three additional officers for Fiscal Year 2023.

ANIMAL CONTROL

The Animal Control department works to unite owners with their lost pets and to promote the adoption of unclaimed, unwanted, stray, and abandoned pets within the Forney city limits. This increase in Animal Control is due to the addition of a new Animal Control Officer and converting a part-time Shelter Attendant to a full-time position.

FIRE

The Fire department consists of full-time paid professionals. The department responds to incidents involving fires, rescues, and emergency medical needs as well as fulfilling the requirements of fire prevention/education, building inspections, fire investigations, and various other public service and safety needs within our community. The Fire department responds to

an area of approximately 80 square miles that consists of the City of Forney, the Town of Talty, and Kaufman County Emergency Services District #6. The Fire department is adding nine new positions. This budget includes all expenses related to outfitting and equipping the new employees, as well as some additional upgraded or new noncapital equipment.

PARKS & RECREATION

The Parks & Recreation department is responsible for providing well maintained facilities that foster recreational and athletic activities in a safe, clean, and comfortable environment. The department provides routine maintenance, repairs, and improvements to the parks system which currently includes seventeen park sites with a variety of amenities. This department will be adding two additional Parks Maintenance Technicians as well as a Parks Maintenance Supervisor.

STREETS

The Streets department is responsible for the maintenance of over 98 miles of streets, 35 miles of storm drainage and more than 1,000 street signs within the city limits. The department is also responsible for mowing and tree trimming in the City rights of way and medians. Maintenance & Repair budgets have been increased as the Public Works department works to develop a more robust streets maintenance program.

The Facilities Maintenance department accounts for the costs to maintain city facilities including electrical, plumbing, and HVAC repair and installation. The department also accounts for the purchase of paper and cleaning supplies for all facilities along with the personnel that support the department.

The largest increase in the Facilities Department is in the Maintenance & Repair category. The city purchased two additional downtown buildings during Fiscal Year 2022 to house the increasing staff, and those buildings will need regular maintenance as they are occupied.

FLEET SERVICES

The Fleet Services department accounts for the cost of supporting and maintaining the city's vehicle fleet. The department consolidates all previous department allocations for fuel and maintenance for vehicles from UTV to Medium Duty trucks. Fleet maintenance will also manage the purchase and standardization of all future vehicles to the city’s fleet.

The largest increase in the department budget reflects the uncertain cost of fuel, and additional funds were added to the maintenance category to account for vehicle purchases in Fiscal Year 2023.

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES

The Neighborhood Service department is responsible for ensuring a clean and healthy environment for the community by enforcing city codes such as high grass, junked vehicles, illegal signs, unsightly matter on private premises, and zoning regulations.

The Building Inspections department ensures that new or remodeled structures conform to adopted building codes and standards. The department reviews building plans, issues permits, and performs inspections to ensure compliance with building codes and local ordinances.

The decrease in Salary & Benefits reflects moving a Plans Examiner position from this department into the Planning Department.

PLANNING

The Planning department is responsible for ensuring that the physical development and land use of the community is accomplished according to the codes, ordinances, and plans adopted by the Planning & Zoning Commission and the City Council. The increase in this budget is due to moving a Plans Examiner position from Building Inspections into this department. Also, a GIS Technician was moved from Information Technology to this department during Fiscal Year 2022.

HUMAN RESOURCES

The Human Resources department oversees employment operation of the City in an effort to maximize both individual needs and organization objectives. The department is responsible

for the recruitment and screening of the City’s employment applicants, administration of the city pay plan, benefits management, employee relations, and employee training and development. The decrease in this budget reflects the completion of two executive searches and a compensation study completed in Fiscal Year 2022.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The Information Technology department maintains the City’s computer networks and systems by evaluating the end user needs, providing technical support and maintaining standards and uniformity in hardware and software installation. The department works closely with outside vendors to maintain several specialty computer programs required by various city departments. This budget includes two new positions, as well as the costs associated with equipping twentytwo new employees.