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Fund Balance Policy <br />Revisions proposed noted below effective 12/31/2018. <br />Purpose: <br />It is important to establish sound financial management policies to ensure financial stability of <br />the City of St. Anthony for the benefit of residents and businesses. Fund balance reserves are <br />an important component in ensuring the overall financial health of a community, by giving the <br />City sufficient funds to meet contingency and cash -flow timing needs. In establishing an <br />appropriate fund balance, the City needs to consider the demands of cash flow, need for <br />emergency reserves, ability to manage fluctuations of major revenue sources, credit rating and <br />long -term fiscal health. <br />General Fund Policy: <br />The City will maintain an unassigned General fund balance (minimum fund balance) in <br />the range of 30 -35% of subsequent year's budgeted operating expenditures (net of <br />expenditures for police services, financial services to other cities along with Fire relief <br />state aid passed through to SAFRA) to meet contingency and cash -flow timing needs; <br />however, this need could fluctuate with each year's budget objectives. <br />• Annual proposed General fund budgets shall include this benchmark policy. Council <br />shall review the amounts in fund balance in conjunction with the annual budget <br />approval, and make adjustments as necessary to meet expected cash -flow needs. <br />• In the event the unassigned General fund balance will be calculated to be less than the <br />minimum requirement at the completion of any fiscal year, the City shall plan to adjust <br />budget resources in the subsequent fiscal years to bring the fund balance into <br />compliance with this policy. <br />• The City Council may consider appropriating (for authorized purposes) year -end fund <br />balance in excess of the policy level or increasing the minimum fund balance. An <br />example of preferred use of excess fund balance would be for one time expenditures, <br />such as capital expenditures, which do not result in recurring operating costs. <br />• Appropriation from the minimum fund balance shall require the approval of the City <br />Council and shall be used only for non - recurring expenditures, unforeseen emergencies <br />or immediate capital needs that cannot be accommodated through current year savings. <br />Replenishment recommendations will accompany the decision to utilize fund balance. <br />• At the discretion of the City Council, fund balance maybe committed for specific <br />purposes by resolution designating the specific use of fund balance and the amount. <br />