Reference no: EM133380053

Question:

A. In the approved budget for the City of Duluth for the year 2022, what is the anticipated revenue for the general fund, and how does it compare to the revenue from the previous year?

B. On page 190 of the City of Duluth's Approved Budget for 2022, what is the purpose of the Special Revenue Fund that you selected, and what is the fund's current balance?
C. According to page 333 of the Duluth City's approved budget for 2022, what is the Equipment Maintenance Fund's current balance and how has it changed over the past three years?
E. What is the proposed tax levy for the City of Duluth in the Mayor's Proposed 2023 Levy, and how does it compare to the tax levy for the previous year?
G. In the approved budget for the City of Duluth for the year 2022, what proportion of the general fund is designated for public safety and what proportion is designated for community development?
I. According to page 22 of the Duluth City's approved budget for 2022, what is the estimated general fund balance at year's end, and how does it compare to the fund balance from the previous year?
J. In the approved budget for the City of Duluth for the year 2022, what is the anticipated revenue from the tourism tax, and how does it compare to the revenue from the previous year?
K. On page 45 of the City of Duluth's 2022 Approved Budget, how much is budgeted for the Community Development Block Grant program and how does it compare to the budgeted amount for the previous year?
L. In the approved budget for the City of Duluth for the year 2022, what is the anticipated revenue from the hotel/motel tax, and how does it compare to the revenue from the previous year?
M. =- According to page 292 of the approved 2022 City of Duluth budget, what is the Employee Benefits Fund's current balance and how has it changed over the past three years?

Go to the City of Duluth website

You'll find several years of budgets, capital improvement plans, business plans, and truth in taxation information .Find the city's annual budget for the general fund -- found in the file '2022 Approved Budget'. Then answer the first three questions (be sure to include calculations, and how you arrived at your calculations):

1. The total city approved budget overview numbers begin on p. 26, followed by some comparisons and then analysis, until p. 34. In looking at this overview, what strikes you as worthy of comment about revenues, expenditures, or comments you want to make about any of these numbers or trends? Please don't wear out your colleagues by commenting on every number or line - 3 or 4 important insights will do.

2. The total approved budget has a nice summary on p.36 - 37. Notice those special revenue funds that start the budget. Then flip to page 190 to see these funds in more detail. Pick one of these funds and describe it's purpose, what has happened to the fund over time (do you see any trends) and if in your opinion, the fund has a high enough priority for the city. If you think the priority should change, what would you ask city leaders about this fund, or how would you convince them to change their priorities? If you had a city named after you, what would be their most important priority, and why?

3. Go to the internal service funds on p. 333. Although we have not yet covered internal service funds in depth, what trends do you see here? Do you have any concerns? If you don't have any concerns about these particular funds, please make a few comments on medical health funds and self-insurance funds in general. You could strengthen your answer by showing your colleagues that you know a thing or two about health funds, or attaching an article you can find about self-insurance funds.

4. Go to duluthmn budget again, but this time find the Mayor's Proposed 2023 Levy, which also includes her budget. It should be the first item on the budget list. In the Mayor's letter to the Council (which appears right after the table of contents) she talks about various factors that affect the budget. Highlight one or two of these for your colleagues, and state if you agree or disagree with what she says about these factors.

5. Find information on another city (or perhaps your own city or county) about how they do their budget. Comment on any similarities or differences with the Duluth process (found at the beginning of this budget document, p. 18 with the financial principles, then 19-22) that you find interesting. A link to your city or county financials, some quotes from your textbook about budgeting processes, or any facts you quote would strengthen your post.