TABLE OF CONTENTS City Government Electric Department . 38 City Organizational Chart. 2 Fire Department . 41 Mayor’s Message . 3 Fletcher Free Library . 44 City Officials Appointed by the Mayor. 6 Human Resources Department . 47 Vermont Legislators . 7 Innovation & Technology. 49 Mayors of Burlington . 7 Parks, Recre ation & Waterfront . 50 City Council . 8 Planning & Zoning Department. 56 City Council Standing Committees . 9 Police Department . 60 City Department Information . 10 Public Works Department . 63 Important Dates . 11 School District . 68 City Holidays . 11 Telecom, Burlington . 71 Board of School Commissioners . 12 Regional Organizations City Commissioners . 13 Annual Reports Neighborhood Planning Assemblies. 17 Burlington Housing Authority . 72 Regularly Scheduled Chittenden Solid Waste District. 73 Commission Meetings. 18 Green Mountain Transit. 75 Justices of the Peace . 19 Winooski Valley Park District . 76 Department Annual Reports Miscellaneous Airport, Burlington International . 20 Annual Town Meeting Day Results . 78 Arts, Burlington City . 21 Salaries . 80 Assessor, Office of the City . 24 General Obligation Debt . 101 Attorney, Office of the City . 25 Appraised Valuation . 101 Church Street Marketplace . 27 Tax Exempt Property Summary . 101 Clerk/Treasurer, Office of the City . 29 Management Letter . 102 Code Enforcement . 31 Audit Summary . 108 Community & Economic Development Office . 33 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Design/Production: Futura Design Printing: Queen City Printers Inc. Printed on PC Recycled Paper Cover Photo: Courtesy of Lindsay Raymondjack Photography, Burlington, VT. Project Management: Jordan Redell, Mayor’s Office This report also is available online at www.burlingtonvt.gov. This publication was printed on 100% PC Recycled FSC® certified paper. Annual Financial Report 1 CITY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART WARD CLERKS & SCHOOL THE VOTERS INSPECTORS OF COMMISSIONERS4 ELECTION4 MAYOR CITY COUNCIL 4 AUTHORITY TO: AUTHORITY TO: • Carry out laws and ordinances • Set City policy with Mayor • Pass legislation through passage • Appoint department heads of ordinances subject to Mayor’s • Assure performance of jobs by veto* subordinate officers • Pass resolutions with Mayor* • Recommend measures • Approve Mayor’s budget • Approve supplementary • Act as Chief Peace Officer interbudgetary transfers • Prepare annual budget • Set annual tax rate with Mayor • Act as Chair of Board of Finance • Establish rules for City Council meeting conduct CITY OFFICERS & COMMISSIONERS! KEY DEPARTMENT HEADS (for list, see pages 13-17) Elected at large (for list, see page 6) 4 Elected at large by ward Appointed by the Mayor subject to City Council approval ! Appointed by the City SUPERINTENDENT L BOARD OF Council or City Council FINANCE M with Mayor presiding AUTHORITY TO: L Appointed by the Board • Act as trustees of public money of School Commissioners • Establish accounting system Ordinances relate to * external matters while • Provide monthly reports and resolutions relate to PRINCIPALS annual audit internal matters • Select official depository M Mayor, Chief Administrative • Authorize budget line item changes Officer (non-voting), President • Be responsible for care and of City Council, and three control of public buildings Councilors elected by the City Council 2City of Burlington MAYOR’S MESSAGE am pleased to present you with the City of Burling- people of Burlington to restoring our Iton’s Annual Report. This past year marked more good financial name. progress towards stabilizing the City’s finances as well Even prior to the good news as progress on projects that will make our City more around the City’s audit and fund walkable, bike-able, affordable, and equitable. The balance, I was proud to announce tremendous inventory of work documented in this re- during the first week of March last port would not be possible without the dedication of year that Moody’s Investors Service City staff, Department Heads, City Councilors, and nu- upgraded the City of Burlington’s Miro merous volunteers on our boards, commissions, and credit rating two full steps to A3 with Weinberger Mayor Neighborhood Planning Assemblies. Through your a stable outlook, returning the City partnership, we have held dozens of public meetings of Burlington to an “A” rating. Of the six ratings steps that gathered meaningful public input that informed that Burlington lost between July 2010 and June 2012 and strengthened the City’s upcoming infrastructure in the wake of Burlington Telecom’s financial struggles, projects. It has been an honor to serve as your Mayor three have now been restored in two upgrades over this year and I look forward to working with you in the the last year. The upgrade is projected to save Burling- year ahead. ton taxpayers and ratepayers millions of dollars in in- terest over time whenever the City pursues necessary and prudent borrowing. The upgrade and audit are proof that the commit- ment of the community, the City Council, and the Ad- ministration to restore Burlington’s financial reputation is working. We are keeping dollars in Burlingtonians’ wallets instead of spending them on h igh interest pay- ments, and are in better position to pursue our goals as a community. While we have more to do in the years ahead to complete our financial turnaround, the fact that we have been able to make so much progress in a short time without service cuts or major tax in- creases is a tribute to the strength of the Burlington economy, the hard work and innovation of our man- agement team, and the colla boration of our public em- ployee unions. More progress on the City’s finances As has been a priority of the Administration, the City has made more progress towards financial stability: Outstanding Audit Four years ago, the City’s auditors identified 27 find- ings and 12 material weaknesses. Addressing these weaknesses required sustained attention on the City’s financial controls and budgeting practices, and this year I am proud to say that all of the material weak- nesses have been addressed and the City has made Concluded union negotiations and retirement progress resolving the two findings that remain. In ad- reform effort dition, the audit this year confirms that the City has ex- After three years of work negotiating with the City’s ceeded its goal of setting aside 10 percent of its four unions, the City’s retirement system stakeholders annual operating expenses into the unassigned fund have jointly implemented a set of reforms that have al- balance. This balance, approximately $6.5 million, ready resulted in significant savings for taxpayers and helps protect the City against major changes in the ratepayers and put the system on more stable footing. economy, federal or state budget a ctions, disaster or Through a broad, multi-prong ed reform of the pension emergency costs, and cash flow timing discrepancies. system, we have stopped the dramatic growth in City This progress could not have been possible without the payments, achieved two years of immediate tax cuts, sustained focus of the City Council, the hard work of and put the system on more stable footing for the long the CAO’s Office, and the strong commitment of the term. This work took the patience and sustained effort Annual Financial Report 3 MAYOR’S MESSAGE of everyone involved over the last three years, and FY17 budget represents progress on built on progress made in earlier reform efforts in many fronts 2006 and 2009. I am grateful for the partnership of Looking forward, the City’s FY17 Budget continues to the City Council, the BERS board, our public employee strengthen the City’s fiscal position while also including unions and non-union employees, and the City’s out- critical new investments in public safety, infrastructure, standing senior management in this critical work. City service quality, and opportunities for all Burling- tonians. For the second year in a row, the municipal tax rate will be slightly lower than the preceding year. The factors in the tax rate reduction are: •The refinancing of the City’s General Fund debt, made possible by the restoration of the City’s “A” credit rating in March 2016 and resulting in a de- crease in the portion of the municipal tax rate related to debt service. •The progress the City has made — through a shared Administration, City Council, and public employee effort — controlling the costs of the City’s pension sys- tem. After more than a decade of steep increases, the City’s share of the FY17 pension costs will remain at the same level as the prior year for the second year in a row. •The detailed and thorough budgeting work per- formed by the CAO’s office using our New World My Brother’s Keeper Summit accounting system. In May of 2016, the City of Burlington answered Pres- •The strong economy and a focus on creating new ident Obama’s call to action by launching a My revenue (i.e., higher utilization of recreation pro- Brother’s Keeper Community in Vermont. My Brother’s grams), which has driven non-property tax growth. Keeper (MBK) is a White House cradle to career ini- tiative launched by President Obama in 2014 to address opportunity gaps facing American youth, par- ticularly boys and young men of color. Since its launch, nearly 250 cities and towns across the country have accepted the President’s call to action. We know that people of color and low-income Burlingtonians are more likely to experience racism, discrimination, un- deremployment, low education, poor health outcomes, and more limited access to resources and opportuni- ties.