Guest View-John Musolf: Where's Do The Savings Go?

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Several months ago, the Town Council approved a $2.1 million expenditure to TEP for three TEP projects to underground power lines.  The funds were "appropriated" from the general fund's contingency reserve.  Generally, the contingency fund grows either from direct appropriation in the budgeting process or as a result of what's not spent at the end of any budget year.

During the FY2012/2013 budget year the Town announced the savings of some recurring expenditures:

• Library About $585,000 savings from the turnover of the Oro Valley Library to PIMA County.
• Coyote Run About $200,000 savings from the RTA funding of Coyote Run Recreation Room
• About $30,000 savings from the cancellation lease of Oro Valley Recreation Room. Tucson
• Regional Economic Opportunity (TREO) About $42,000 savings from the cancellation of the TREO contract. 

What historically has occurred in the budgeting process is the redistribution of those savings like this to other departments to increase their service budgets for new projects or services for the following budget year.

Instead of doing this,  let’s distribute those savings back to the general fund contingency reserve.

These savings of $852,000 would give the Town of Oro Valley a good start towards replenishing the general fund contingency reserve.
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