The Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors appointed General Manager Tom Salzer to serve as Budget Officer for the fiscal year 2016-2017 budget. (Fiscal year 2016-2017 begins on July 1, 2016 and ends on June 30, 2017.) Because the District receives a voter-approved property tax levy, it is required to follow Oregon Local Budget Law in the development, approval, and adoption of the annual budget.
Following is the summary message delivered to the Budget Committee on March 22, 2016 by Budget Officer Salzer. The complete budget message and the proposed budget as provided to the Budget Committee can be downloaded below.
Budget Message Summary
The District is primarily funded by a property tax levy
In 2006, voters authorized a property tax levy to fund our services to Clackamas County constituents.
We are doing the things we promised voters we would do
We are helping people conserve our vital natural resources in many different landscapes in Clackamas County.
We are recognized as a regional leader in conservation
Our work is widely recognized throughout the region by citizens, elected officials, agencies, and partners. Our people participate at all levels in Oregon’s conservation delivery system.
Our financial operations are sound and transparent
Audits of the District have been good and our internal controls assure the safety of public funds under our care. We operate transparently, publishing notices and minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors.
Budgeting balances revenue and expenditures to meet the District’s goals
The budget shows what it costs to operate the District, to deliver services to our constituents, and to invest in long-term conservation actions. It shows how we plan to invest funds in on-the-ground conservation actions that align with the District’s conservation priorities.
More unknowns than usual this budget cycle
With several new initiatives on the horizon, projected revenues and expenditures are less easy to predict this budget cycle.
We add staff to improve services
For this proposed budget, we add staff to accommodate increasingly complex financial transactions and reporting.
We increase loans
For the proposed fiscal year 2016-2017 budget, we include a new septic system repair loan program to fix failing septic systems in the Clackamas River watershed. We include additional loan funds we anticipate receiving from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to support other conservation actions on private lands.
We hold the line on other program areas
In other areas of the budget, we maintain the technical help we provide and continue to fund financial assistance for important conservation actions.
On behalf of the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District, I’m pleased to present a proposed budget for fiscal year 2016-2017.
Tom Salzer, Budget Officer