There’s A World Of Difference: Council Candidates Confuse Fund Balance With Reserve Balance

Three council candidates confuse a fund balance with a required reserve balance

During Tuesday’s Sun City Oro Valley council candidate forum, Jake Harrington asked, “Why are we using our reserve funds to balance our budget?” Rhonda Pina stated that the Town was using its savings to pay for the operating budget. Chris DeSimone said that money was coming from reserves to help balance the budget.

Those comments bring up an important question. Are the Town’s reserves actually being used? Or are the candidates misusing the term? Is it possible that they are actually referring to the General Fund balance and not the required reserve level? The distinction matters because a change in the ending fund balance is not the same thing as using the Town’s required reserve.

A fund balance and a required reserve balance are two different things
The easiest way to understand the difference is to think about your own finances. Suppose you have $20,000 in the bank. That is your account balance. Now suppose you decide that no matter what happens, you want to keep at least $5,000 available for emergencies such as a job loss, a major home repair, or an unexpected medical expense. That $5,000 is your reserve. The reserve is part of your total balance. But it is not the same thing as your total balance.

The Town works much the same way. The General Fund balance represents the total amount of money accumulated in the General Fund. The reserve is the portion of that balance set aside by Town policy for emergencies, economic downturns, and other unexpected events. The fund balance can rise or fall from year to year while the required reserve remains the same as long as the fund balance exceeds it.

By 2028, town staff forecasts little difference between the two...Looks bad right?

For many years, the Town’s General Fund balance was significantly greater than the required reserve balance. This is seen in the chart at right. From 2016 to 2021, the General Fund ending balance grew substantially. And it should have. During the COVID years, the Town received tens of millions of dollars in federal funds that had to be spent by 2026.

After the federal dollars stopped flowing, the Town still had two other nonrecurring sources of cash. That money came from two bond issues. One, in the amount of $25 million, was for parks. The second, in the amount of $18 million, was used to pay down the unfunded police pension liability. The latter was spent immediately. The former was spent over several years. You can see both the receipt of the money and the spending of the money over several years in the chart.

But it's not...
By the end of 2026, most of that federal and bond money will have been spent. What remains is business as usual. Paying the town's operating expenses is not the only use of the General Fund. The Town transfers money from the General Fund to service debt and to fund capital items. As the Town’s five-year forecast states: “Fund balance above the 25% reserve threshold is transferred to the Capital Fund.” That means the General Fund will not show a large surplus above the reserve floor. That is by design. 

According to town staff projections, a total of:

• $279.2 million will be spent on town operations
• $17.4 million will be spent on debt service
• $20.1 million will be transferred for capital spending

And, though the town does not foresee the need, the town's AA+ Bond rating would allow borrowing at a reasonable rate if there are major long term assets that need to be financed.

Fear mongering is never a good financial strategy

Our conclusion is similar to the point made by council candidate Rosa Dailey at the forum. Dailey noted that “We have a very balanced budget...The scare tactics are getting old...We are doing fine.” LOVE’s review of the numbers reaches a similar conclusion. Oro Valley is not in a financial crisis. It is most certainly not spending its reserve funds. What is happening, as we have mentioned in previous articles, is that the Town is entering a period where careful financial management will matter more than ever.

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2022 Pension Full Funding: "Gift That Keeps Giving"

Council keeps full funding goal
The Oro Valley Town Council voted 7-0 last Wednesday night to approve the Town’s updated Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) funding policy for fiscal year 2027. The policy continues the Town’s goal of keeping its public safety pension plans fully funded. This applies to the Town’s police pension plan under the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System and the dispatchers’ plan under the Corrections Officer Retirement Plan (CORP).

Plans are slightly overfunded
The latest actuarial reports show that both plans are now slightly above full funding. The police PSPRS plan is 101.0% funded. The dispatchers’ CORP plan is 100.2% funded. Finance Director David Gephart told council that the police plan has about $91.2 million in actuarial assets and about $90.3 million in actuarial liabilities. That leaves the plan overfunded by about $903,000.

Town will still make an extra payment
Because the police pension plan is now fully funded, the State actuary lowered the Town’s recommended employer contribution rate for fiscal year 2027 from 12.61% to 10.47% of police payroll. That lower rate would require a Town contribution of about $1.015 million. However, the Town will not reduce its contribution to that minimum amount. It will add an extra $214,185 to help preserve the plan’s funding cushion. That brings the Town’s total police pension contribution to about $1.229 million for the year.

Town has built a cushion
Gephart explained that the Town made about $1.16 million in excess pension payments during the current fiscal year. That was intended to help offset the possible effect of higher police pay under the April police Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement. Combined with the current $903,000 overfunded position, the Town has a cushion of a little more than $2 million. That is why staff recommended reducing, but not eliminating, excess payments in 2027.

The 2022 decision to full fund the pension has generated millions in savings
Gephart reviewed the Town’s 2022 decision to eliminate the unfunded police pension liability of about $28 million. That year, the Town issued $17.98 million in pension obligation bonds at a 2.39% interest rate. It also made a one-time $10 million payment from reserves. That moved the plan from a large unfunded position to full funding and changed the Town’s PSPRS cost structure. 

Gephart estimated that that action has saved the Town about $856,000 a year over the past four years, or about $3.4 million so far, even after accounting for bond debt service interest. He said those savings should continue for another 15 to 17 years and the savings will be even greater after the debt is repaid.

Policy remains one to watch
Gephart cautioned that pension funding is not fixed permanently. Investment returns, retirements, pay changes, assumptions, and actuarial experience can all affect the funding level. He said the Town will not know the full current-year impact until the next actuarial report is released in December. Still, he told council he does not expect Oro Valley to return to the much lower funding levels it once had. The policy goal is to remain in the mid-to-high 90% range at minimum, with the intent of staying at or near 100% funded.
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Council Approves Limited Water Rate Increase For Oro Valley Water Customers.

Council approves limited water rate increase
Last week, The Oro Valley Town Council approved a potable water base rate increase. The increase applies only to drinking water base rates. It does not increase potable water commodity rates, groundwater preservation fees, reclaimed water base rates, or reclaimed water commodity rates. The increase takes effect July 4 and will first appear on August water bills.

Most customers will pay $1.86 more per month
For the typical customer with a 5/8-inch meter using 7,000 gallons per month, the water portion of the bill will increase from $51.45 to $53.31. That is an increase of $1.86 per month, or 3.6%. Water Utility Director Peter Abraham told council that about 84% of Oro Valley Water Utility customers have a 5/8-inch meter. 

Only the base rate is increasing
Abraham said the utility normally tries to balance increases between the base rate and the commodity rate. This year, however, staff recommended a base-rate-only increase because the utility needs more certain revenue. Commodity revenue can vary depending on water use and weather. A wet year could reduce water sales and make it harder for the utility to meet revenue requirements.

Higher operating costs are driving the increase
Staff said drinking water costs are rising by about $900,000, or 5.94%. The increases include personnel, operations and maintenance, power, CAP delivery, CAP wheeling, and Northwest Recharge, Recovery and Delivery System costs. Abraham said the utility offset part of that increase through reduced capital spending, lower debt paid by rates, and no added staff. Those actions produced about $450,000 in savings.

Renewable water costs are becoming a bigger factor
In response to questions from Mayor Joe Winfield, Abraham said most of the operating cost increase is tied to renewable water supplies. He said CAP wheeling, CAP delivery, and NWRRDS costs account for roughly 64% to 65% of the increase. Abraham also told council that Oro Valley is preparing for a possible 20% cut in its CAP allocation beginning in January. He said that would not reduce the amount of CAP water delivered to customers, but it would reduce the amount of CAP water the utility can store.

Council supports smaller annual adjustments
Council Member Mary Murphy, who serves as council liaison to the Water Utility Commission, praised staff and the commission for bringing forward smaller annual increases rather than waiting until a larger increase is needed. Abraham said his goal is to keep future annual increases in the 3% to 5% range, depending on costs and utility finances. 

Council approved the rate increase unanimously, 7-0.

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Bits and Pieces

Call it like it is: Staff badly missed this year's construction sales tax estimate

Staff presented the Town’s March financial update at Wednesday’s council meeting. There is really nothing new to report beyond what LOVE told you in March. The Town budgeted about $5.1 million in construction-related sales tax revenue for the year. The March update now estimates the year-end total at about $2.6 million. That is a shortfall of about $2.5 million, or nearly 49% below budget. This is a huge forecasting error that should have been avoidable.

Staff blamed the missed forecast on two projects: A later-than-expected start for the Oro Valley Marketplace hotel and a Vistoso Golf Club apartment development that has yet to happen.

This raises a fair question: How could staff miss the timing of these projects so badly? Town staff reviews development plans, processes approvals, and issues permits. Staff knows how long the process takes. Thus, staff knows when major projects are likely to start. Staff should have known the timing of these projects.

This mistake matters because some council candidates are pointing to the revenue shortfall as evidence that the Town is not fiscally sustainable. We disagree. The mistake is evidence of something else. Town staff needs to be challenged more closely when it provides financial results and budget forecasts to the council. That is the job of the town manager. If he fails to do it, then it is up to the council to be the backstop.

Council approves Operation Stonegarden agreement

Last night, the Town Council approved a resolution allowing Police Chief Kara Riley to sign a subrecipient agreement with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security for Operation Stonegarden funding. The agreement provides up to $143,000 for Oro Valley Police Department overtime and mileage for deployments with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This resolution follows a May council action approving Stonegarden funding for equipment. Together, the grants continue OVPD’s participation in the regional law enforcement program. Staff says the program works with other local agencies and the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector to reduce crime, improve quality of life, and target smugglers involved in human trafficking, illegal contraband, and other threats. The funding is reimbursement-based.

Council renews inmate housing agreement

Also last night, the council approved an annual intergovernmental agreement with Pima County for the housing of Oro Valley municipal prisoners at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex. State law requires cities and towns to pay for incarceration costs when prisoners are held on municipal court charges. Under the agreement, Pima County will charge Oro Valley $527.42 for booking, intake, and the first day of housing. Each additional billable day will cost $134.76. The agreement runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The town’s recommended FY 2026-27 budget includes $175,000 for prisoner custody, which staff expects will be sufficient.

Council approves Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride agreement

And last night, the council approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Regional Transportation Authority for Oro Valley’s Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride service. The service provides free, door-to-door transportation in designated areas, with service for the general public, seniors 65 and older, and ADA-certified riders. Staff said the service has operated in partnership with the RTA for more than 15 years and provided nearly 68,000 passenger trips in FY 2025. Ridership is expected to exceed 74,000 trips in FY 2026. The new agreement reflects the voter-approved RTA Next plan and runs through June 2031. For FY 2027, the estimated service cost is about $2.5 million. The RTA is projected to reimburse about $2.4 million. The Town’s estimated share is $113,000.

Council extends police radio maintenance agreement

And finally last night, the council approved a first amendment to the Town’s agreement with Pima County for Pima County Wireless Integrated Network subscriber services. The agreement provides repair and maintenance services for radios used by the Oro Valley Police Department. The original agreement was approved in 2021 and was set to end in June 2026. The amendment extends the agreement for five more years, through June 2031, with the option for another five-year renewal. The updated agreement covers 312 OVPD radios, including 162 mobile radios, 148 portable radios, and two control stations. The annual preventive maintenance cost is $9,360, or $46,800 over five years. Staff says the related expenses are included in the current budget and the recommended FY 2026-27 budget. 

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Oro Valley Town Council To Set 2027 $128 Million Expenditure Limit Tonight

 $128 million limit
Council will decide on the 2027 expenditure limitation at tonight’s council meeting. The tentative budget now before council is about $128 million. That is about $2.1 million less than the town manager's initial recommendation. The limit matters because spending next year cannot exceed it. Council may approve a final budget below that amount, but not above it.

No much has changed from our previous reports

LOVE has previously discussed the 2027 Town Manager’s Recommended Budget in four articles. The first article focused on revenue and forecasting variables. The second focused on where the money would be spent. The third focused on personnel spending. The fourth provided council and mayoral candidates reaction to the budget.

Tentative budget is $2.1 million lower than the Town Manager’s recommendation
The latest budget is about $2.1 million less than the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget. The reduction is mostly because several project costs were refined after the May budget presentation. Bridge and transit-related spending was reduced or moved to reflect local match amounts rather than full project costs. That accounts for most of the reduction.

Smaller changes were made to personnel estimates, legal services, and stormwater projects. Stormwater funding increased for the Catalina Ridge Channel Modification project and a new Nanini Wash erosion mitigation project. These changes reduce the proposed expenditure limitation from about $130 million to about $128 million.

Budget still maintains current service levels
Much has not changed from the budget LOVE previously reviewed. The budget remains focused on current services, not major service expansion. Staff says the tentative budget maintains current service levels, provides eligible employees up to a 3% pay increase, and continues investments in infrastructure, employees, and Town operations.

While spending significant funds on capital projects
The proposed Capital Improvement Plan totals about $24.2 million. That is about 19% of the tentative budget. The result of this spending is a net drawdown of about $13.1 million in total fund balances. The drawdown reflects money accumulated or borrowed for some key projects that will be completed done in 2027. Examples include $6 million for NWRRDS water resource capital work, which follows prior utility financing for that multi-year project; about $2 million for the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve Pond; $1 million for police headquarters planning and development; and about $676,000 for the Tangerine Road/Mussette Drive traffic signal. 

Budget vote on June 17
Tonight’s vote does not adopt the final budget. It sets the maximum expenditure limitation for FY 2026/27. Council is scheduled to hold the final budget public hearing and consider final budget adoption on June 17. That will also be a public hearing.

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Update: The council unanimously approved the limit. In addition, in response to a question from Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett, Gephardt said that the use of fund balance is primarily for carryover capital projects that started this year but will not be completed until next year. He also said the Town is “not tapping general fund reserves yet.”  

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Are Oro Valley Revenues Keeping Pace With Spending? A Look At The Numbers

How do revenues and expenditures track?
Questions about whether Oro Valley revenues are keeping pace with spending have surfaced during recent budget discussions and in this year’s election season. 

It is a simple question with a complicated answer

The Town operates through roughly fifteen different funds. These include the General Fund, Water Utility Fund, Highway Fund, Capital Fund, Community Center Fund, and others. They serve different purposes and receive money from different sources. The General Fund, however, is the Town’s largest operating fund, containing about 54% of Oro Valley’s FY2027 budgeted revenues. Because discussions about revenues and spending generally concern the Town’s core governmental operations, LOVE focused primarily on that fund.

The Town’s operating fund,  the General Fund, has consistently covered the town's operating costs
The General Fund finances many of the Town’s core services, including police, administration, parks, planning, and portions of public works. Using the Town’s ten year history, current year estimate, FY2027 recommended budget, and latest five year forecast, operating revenues exceed operating expenditures in every year. Under that measure, revenues have consistently kept pace with operating costs.

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And met an even broader set of commitments over the years
The General Fund, however, does more than pay day to day operating costs. It also funds some capital projects, debt obligations, and transfers to other activities. When those commitments are included, the picture becomes tighter. The FY2027 Town Manager’s Recommended Budget projects approximately $59.3 million in General Fund revenues compared with roughly $60.7 million in total General Fund obligations, including operating spending, transfers, debt support, and other commitments. That difference contributes to a projected decline in General Fund balance. However, the Town does not expect that pattern to continue indefinitely. In later years of the five year forecast, revenues are projected to again exceed broader obligations.

While maintaining at least a 25% reserve level

Even with the projected decline, the Town is not forecasting reserves below its adopted policy minimum. The FY2027 recommended budget projects an ending General Fund balance of about $13.8 million. That remains above the Town’s required 25% reserve threshold. The Town’s five year forecast likewise projects reserves remaining at or above the adopted 25% policy level throughout the forecast period.

All of which has required careful financial management
Our reading of the numbers is not that Oro Valley faces a financial crisis. Rather, the numbers suggest that the Town will need careful financial management during the next several years. Choices will need to be made regarding capital spending, spending priorities, and finding ways to reduce operating costs. That is not unusual. Town staff has never received every dollar requested for projects or spending.

The question going forward is not whether Oro Valley revenues are keeping pace expenditures because they are...The question is how well Council and staff can manage competing priorities within a tighter financial environment. 

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Note: Data compiled for this analysis came from multiple Town of Oro Valley financial sources, including ten comprehensive annual financial reports, a town staff March FY2026 General Fund estimate, the FY2027 Town Manager’s Recommended Budget as initially submitted, the FY2027 Capital Improvement Program that is in that budget and town staff's most recent five year General Fund forecast. LOVE reconciled these sources to develop the analysis used in this article.

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Bits and Pieces

County outlines eviction assistance program
On May 20, Pima County staff presented the Emergency Eviction Legal Services, EELS, program to the Oro Valley Town Council. The program provides legal assistance, rental aid, shelter access, rehousing help, and job referrals for tenants facing eviction. Since its creation in 2021, the County reports that 3,725 households have received legal services, 3,500 have received rental assistance, and more than 80% of households leaving emergency shelter moved to positive housing destinations. Annual program costs include about $1.8 million for rental assistance and $400,000 for legal services. Most program clients, about 80%, live within the City of Tucson.

Indoor recreation center proposal being considered at Suffolk and Oracle

A proposed commercial project near the northeast corner of Suffolk Drive and Oracle Road would bring a roughly 25,000 square foot family recreation center, restaurant, and retail space to the site. According to Town materials, the proposal includes an indoor Kids That Rip (KTR) action sports facility featuring trampolines, sport courts, obstacle courses, and other family recreation uses. The project requires rezoning from Residential Service, R-S, to Neighborhood Commercial, C-N, along with a Conditional Use Permit to allow a 25,000 square foot single tenant family recreation center that exceeds the zoning code’s standard 5,000 square foot tenant limit. The project underwent a March neighborhood meeting that, according to Town staff, generated a mix of resident support and concerns, including questions about traffic, drainage, flooding, noise, and neighborhood compatibility. Some residents supported having a local indoor family recreation option. The company has six locations in the Phoenix area.  (Project details)

OVPD reports: Some e-bikes may be considered motorcycles under Arizona Law

The May/June OVPD CrimeFighter newsletter says officers are seeing a “significant increase” in juveniles operating electric dirt bikes and other non street legal vehicles on Oro Valley roads and multi use paths. The department warned parents that some high powered vehicles marketed as e-bikes, including certain Surron, Talaria, and similar models, may legally qualify as motorcycles under Arizona law, requiring registration, insurance, and a motorcycle endorsement. OVPD said illegally operated vehicles may be stopped and impounded.