Join Irvine's Community Budget Meetings for Fiscal Transparency and Planning (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Kristen Griffith, Director of Financial Management and Strategic Planning. We would like you to engage with us at one of our four upcoming Community Budget Neighborhood Meetings across the City. We are transitioning to a two-year budget developed in the context of a comprehensive five-year financial plan, and we want to ensure community involvement and fiscal transparency. We look forward to seeing you and hearing your valuable input at the next Community Budget Neighborhood Meeting. Our fiscal management team oversees an investment portfolio of $900 million and oversees the Community Facility District and Assessment District administration, among other duties such as financial preparation, audits, and reporting. As public employees and financial professionals, we strive to ensure public confidence in the management of the resources entrusted to us, and we are committed to serving the public interest with the highest ethical standards by serving with integrity, accountability, and transparency. Again in 2019, the City of Irvine was ranked number one in fiscal strength by the Truth in Accounting, which ranked 75 of America's largest cities. We also received the Excellence Award in Operating Budget from the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Association, the Distinguished Budget Presentation from the Government Finance Officers Association, as well as a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for our CAFR. We strive to be outstanding stewards of the finances entrusted to us. We received the Award of Excellence in Public Finance from the California Public Securities Association. Our purchasing team is driven by the same dedication and has received the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award from the National Purchasing Institute and the California Association of Public Purchasing Officers. We also partner with the City of Irvine's Finance Commission and Investment Advisory Committees to ensure review and compliance of all laws, regulations, and internal policies and procedures. As the City transitions to a two-year budget developed in the context of a five-year financial plan, we are working on your behalf to support the City Council's focus on Irvine's renowned fiscal strength. As we prepare the two-year budget, we also consider the longer-term fiscal forecast as it affects our big three revenue areas of sales tax, property tax, and hotel tax, which make up about 75% of the revenues of the City. We welcome you to join the conversation to ask questions at one of our four upcoming Community Budget Neighborhood Meetings across the City. You can also ask questions or visit us on the City's Transparency Portal. I'm Kristen Griffith, and on behalf of the Financial Management and Strategic Planning Department, we are proud to serve you. Thank you. To view the Community Budget Neighborhood Meeting slides, go to cityofirvine.org forward slash budget.