I Know What You Did(n't) Do Last Summer!

Dear Readers,
Do you remember the movies "I Know What You Did Last Summer Parts I/II"? The City of Ridgecrest has its own version. Except its title is "I Know What You Did(n't) Do Last Summer!" There were blanket passes by the media specially the News & Review on the City's position that the City Budget is balanced.

We have shown the City Staff and the staff of the Daily Independent that the City's Draft Budget was not balanced. The City Staff repeatedly stated that our position was not valid because we did not have access to the Adopted Budget. Further the City's Budget Officer, Tyrell Staheli, fell on his sword, for not completing the Transfers in/Transfers Out calculations in the Draft Budget.

Well, someone doesn't know what they are doing with the budget at City Hall. In the words of the movie, "I Know What You Didn't Do Last Summer!" First, regarding Mr. Staheli falling on his sword and not completing the Transfers Out: The main implication is that he has understated expenses which overstated fund balance in various funds; this lead to an overstatement of fund balance (reserves) or an overappropriation of budgetary expenses.

The summer came and went. The City Staff had the opportunity to fix their errors. We took their data and entered it into an Excel Spreadsheet. Transfers In Net of Transfers Out are supposed to Net to Zero. After City Staff "fixed" their errors the City's Adopted Budget is Over Appropriated by $1.4 Million.

Yes, Virginia, I retract my statement which I began this entry. I don't know what City Staff did last Summer/Early Fall, but I do know they weren't balancing the budget.

RidgeBlogger