FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET FY2021-22

Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council:

I am pleased to provide you with a copy of the 2021-22 Annual Budget and 2022-23 Projected Budget. This document was prepared by the City's Budget and Evaluation Department and represents a comprehensive publication of the City's budget plans and policies for the upcoming fiscal year. The document also includes a second year planning budget that gives us the opportunity to continue planning for and implementing the strategies necessary to meet the future needs of our community. I presented the recommended FY 2021-22 budget to Council on May 18, 2021 and both hard copy and electronic versions were available for public review. The Council held several budget work sessions and a public hearing on the proposed budget before adoption. City Council adopted the 2021-22 annual net budget, totaling $619,744,308, on June 15, 2021. The adopted FY 21-22 Budget is 2.6% higher than the revised FY 20-21 budget. The overall property tax rate of 66.25 cents is unchanged from the previous year. The adopted budget addresses multiple Council priorities and organizational financial needs. This budget addresses the continuing challenges faced by the organization due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget prepares for a return to more normal operations and community life in the coming months. Even with challenges expected, the budget includes compensation adjustments for all benefited employees and adds critical staffing in priority program areas. The budget includes the restoration of many programmatic reductions and delays necessary for pre-pandemic levels of service. Full funding for debt service related to the $126 million 2016 bond referendum will support the issuance of the remaining $36 million for citizen approved Parks and Recreation, Housing, Transportation and Community Development projects. The 2021-22 and 2022-23 budget columns in this document, as well as the narrative, reflect the budget as adopted by Council with changes made during the Council deliberations. The Manager's Message, however, is included as it was presented with the Recommended Budget. Council deliberations at budget work sessions and meetings lead to the inclusion of several important changes from the budget recommendation. Public Safety compensation was identified as a priority and approximately $1.7 million is included in the budget to support retention and recruitment. Additional support is also included for community partners supporting public safety and economic development goals. On behalf of the employees of the City, I thank you for your continued leadership and support of our efforts to meet your priorities in the delivery of high quality services to the Greensboro community. Respectfully,

David Parrish City Manager