Belleville Finance Department

Key Initiatives

Asset Management Planning

The City’s Strategic Plan identifies Infrastructure as one of the main Strategic Themes of the Corporation. Development of asset management
strategies and programs to resolve delivery shortfalls and protect the City’s investment in existing infrastructure is one the key objectives
identified as part of the Infrastructure Theme.

As a departmental lead in asset management planning, the Finance Department is dedicated to the improvement and coordination of corporate
Asset Management Planning activities. This includes the development of strong tools, strategies, and plans to ensure optimal investment in the
City’s infrastructure and ongoing maintenance of ensure levels of service are met.

• Timeline: Asset Management planning is a continual process for the Municipality. An update to the City’s Asset Management plan has begun
  in 2023 and will be looking to provide an updated plan for both the July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025 legislative deadlines.
• Strategic Plan Theme: Infrastructure
• Budget: 2023 Operating Issue #D4-1 ($550,000)

Long-Term Financial Planning

• Collaborate with City departments to develop the ten-year capital plan and prudent financial strategies to optimize infrastructure investments and deliver levels of service. Continually consider annual capital investment in the development of applicable studies (e.g., Recreation user fee review).
• Timeline: 2024 (10-Year Capital Plan Development)
• Strategic Plan Theme: Infrastructure
• Budget: Included in 2023 Operating Issue #D4-1 noted above.
  

Development Charge Background Study Update

• Begin Development Charge Background Study update to enhance infrastructure phasing strategy, growth related financing and development
  policy improvements. This will be a collaborative process with the Finance department providing analysis and financial impacts and strategies
  associated with growth, and incremental operating and capital costs to meet levels of service.
• Timeline: 2024-2025
• Strategic Plan Theme: Infrastructure, Growth and Housing
• Budget: 2024 Operating Issues #D4-5 ($100,000)

Goals & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Strategic

Continued improvement and enhancement in the City’s Asset Management Plan (AMP) and organizational maturity and expertise is imperative
for both legislative compliance, but also the delivery of an efficient and effective municipal service that meets the needs and levels of service
expected by the residents.

To measure the Corporation’s continual improvement, we are committed to the development of enhanced AMP in 2024 and 2025, as well as improving the Corporation’s Asset Maturity Score.

• Corporate Asset Maturity Score: The AM Council Asset Management Maturity Model (AMMM) ensures a consistent applied tool for maturity
  assessment that enables effective performance benchmarking.
• Key Performance Metric: Asset Maturity Score
• Measurement: Change in Score from beginning of 2024, end of 2024, 2025 and onward

Operational

Departments will continue to develop operational initiatives throughout the year and work with the City’s Departmental Performance
Standards Committee to develop SMART Key Performance Indicators to properly evaluate operational performance and provide reliable,
relevant, and accountable performance metrics to the community.

Performance

Department Plans and their performance reports were first introduced in the 2024 Operating Budget. Performance will be published in 2024 once sufficient data is collected to accurately assess the department’s performance and provide meaningful insights.

Budget

The proposed 2024 Finance Operating Budget is $3,470,300 in gross expenditures and $2,332,000 in net expenditures supported from the general
tax levy. This represents a 14.36% decrease over the 2023 budget. The reduction in expenses in 2024 is largely attributable to the costs allocated
to other departments in the year.

Achievements

2023

• Enhancements to the capital and operating budget process through increased engagement, content development, web presence, communication strategies and guideline development.
• Improvements and approval of Corporate Financial policies including; the Budget and Financial Controls Policy, Investment Policy, Purchasing Policy, and Travel and Training Policy – Staff and Council.
• Awarding and progressing through the City’s Asset Management Plan update.
• Collaborative procurement and advancement of Building Condition Assessment process which will enhance the corporate facility condition information and asset management strategies and financial sustainability.
• Continuations of Accounts Payable automation and improvements process.

Team

The Finance department is comprised of 27 highly skilled staff who provide professional advice, analysis, expertise, processing and management of resources essential to the successful operation of the municipality:

• Director – Brandon Ferguson
• Financial Reporting, Processing and Budgeting – Finance Managers and Coordinators, Accounting Analysts,
  Asset Specialist, Water Billing Clerks (13)
• Property Taxation & Revenue – Manager, Coordinator, Analysts, Customer Service Representatives (8)
• Corporate Procurement – Supervisor, Assistant (2)
• Payroll – Supervisor, Clerks (3)

Responsibilities

The Finance department provides financial leadership, stewardship, planning, guidance and reporting to internal and external stakeholders to ensure financial sustainability for the Municipality.

The department provides operational services relating to budgeting, financial reporting and planning, revenue billing and collection, corporate payment processing and procurement, payroll processing, banking, investing, grant administration and corporate asset management.

In addition to these services the finance department takes a key role in the overall corporate business process development, financial systems design and control, strategic decision-making process, corporate oversight and reporting activities.

The department promotes fiscal responsibility and accountability across the organization, and partners with departments as a support service to ensure a high level of service is delivered to both internal and external stakeholders.

• Internal stakeholders: Council, City departmental staff
• External stakeholders: Federal and Provincial Government, boards, ratepayers,
  financial institutions

Governance

Municipal guiding documents and plans that govern the work of the Finance department:

• Municipal Act (Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25) – Governs the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Municipality.
• Financial Information Return (Financial Information Return 2022) – Provides the framework for financial reporting to the Ministry of Municipal
  Affairs.
• Asset Management Plan (City of Belleville Asset Management Plan) – Utilized to effectively manage and derive value from existing and new
  assets to deliver services at expected levels to the community.
• Operating Budgets (City of Belleville Budgets) – The operating budget encompasses the City’s normal operating expenses and revenues
  associated with the day-to-day provision of services.
• Capital Budgets (City of Belleville Budgets) – The capital budget plans for the acquisition and replacement of Municipal Assets. The City’s
  capital budget is guided by its Asset Management Plan.

Trends

Legislative/Governance

• Asset Management Planning for Municipalities (O. Reg 588/17) provides requirements, framework and deadlines to complete Asset
  Management Plans. The municipality is diligently working towards Legislative deadlines and will continue to improve and realize value from
  the implementation of improved asset management strategies and planning.
• Legislation from the provincial government, including Bill 109 More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022; Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act,
  2022; Bill 23 More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022; and Bill 39 Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022.
• Public Sector Accounting Board requirements regarding Asset Retirement Obligations and Financial Instruments.

Economic

• Housing market and affordability, causing increasing pressures on household incomes and affecting ability to afford municipal services and
  taxes.
• Inflationary impacts, including interest rates, affect municipal service delivery and the community’s ability to afford municipal services
• Viability and financial sustainability of community groups.
• Limited memberships, resources and competition for funding affect sustainability of organizations and potential reliance / requests for
  additional funding from the municipality.

Municipal Budget

• Budgetary community engagement and feedback is an increasing and evolving municipal trend.
• The department has increased the budgetary engagement process during 2023 and will continue to enhance community engagement
  initiatives, municipal budget material development and communication mediums into 2024 and beyond.

Technology

• Many opportunities for Information Technology advancement and new technology deployment to enhance internal efficiencies and external
  engagement and efficiency in service delivery.