Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the City Auditor to create an Agency Fund and transfer cash from the General Fund for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services. Currently, the Division of Support Services deposits excess funds for false alarms into the General Fund, labelling it as escrow. The division then draws off of that escrow from the customer’s account to pay any false alarms and/or applications. In order for it to be tracked and dispersed more effectively, an agency fund needs to be established. This will allow the division to better track, apply, and disburse payments within the false alarm system. After approximately 180 days from deposit into the escrow account, the remaining escrow amount will be refunded back to the customers.
Emergency action is requested to ensure that the Agency Fund can be created and cash moved to better serve the Department of Public Safety.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the transfer of cash from the General Fund to the new Agency Fund of up to $12,493.00. It is undetermined as of this time the amount each year that will be received.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to create a new Agency Fund and to transfer cash from the General Fund to the new Agency Fund, for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services, and to declare an emergency ($12,493.00).
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the City Auditor to create an Agency Fund for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of cash between the General Fund and the new Agency Fund; and
WHEREAS, this creation and transfer of cash will allow the division to better track, apply, and disburse payments to accounts within the false alarm system; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Support Services, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to create an Agency Fund and transfer cash between the General Fund and said fund to facilitate the tracking, application, and disbursement of payments from the escrow account to customers' false alarm accounts, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor is authorized to create an Agency Fund for the Division of Support Services and transfer cash of $12,493.00 from the General Fund to said fund.
SECTION 2. That the monies authorized in Section 1 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Safety and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is authorized to transfer funds deposited into the general fund for this purpose into said fund upon request of the Division of Support Services.
SECTION 4. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.