Finance & Administration

The Finance & Administration department consists of financial and accounting services, personnel services, risk management, and city clerk services. Financial and accounting services responsibilities include budget preparation and oversight, financial reporting, accounts payable and accounts receivable, payroll and benefits administration, fixed asset tracking, cash receipting and collections, cash and investment management, grant management, debt management, evaluation and implementation of internal controls. Personnel services responsibilities include human resources management and administration of employee benefits. Risk management responsibilities include process claims and incidents, maintain property and liability insurance, and provide opportunities for city-wide training. The City Clerk's Office provides Council meeting support, including agendas, minutes and meeting attendance; oversees City records management; updates the Kenmore Municipal Code; and processes official City documents, such as contracts, ordinances, and resolutions.

City of Kenmore
2021 - 2026 Financial Sustainabiltiy Plan (January 2019-May 2020)

Due to State-imposed limits on property tax growth, flat growth in other revenues, unfunded state and federal mandates, and other factors, the City’s operating revenues are not keeping pace with the cost of doing business. As a result, the City of Kenmore faces an upcoming structural deficit in its operating budget (General Fund and Street Fund).

While the City has been adopting balanced budgets, operating expenditures could start exceeding revenues as soon as 2021. Re-evaluating priorities, services and revenues can help bring a budget with a structural deficit back into balance.

The City Council has directed staff to begin the public process of creating a Financial Sustainability Plan.

A first phase of the process involved the following activities in the 4^th quarter of 2019 and early 2020:

A community survey
An independent assessment of the City’s financial projections and long-range forecasts
Updates to the City’s Priority-Based Budgeting system
Communications about the budget and City finances, including a financial forecast report to the City council in January 2020. Update 1/3: These materials can be found here.

Starting in January 2020, the issue and possible solutions will be discussed in a thorough public engagement process, including use of a task force of community members to examine the issue and advise the City Manager on the City’s options. This process will conclude with a report from the City Manager to the City Council before the City Council begins their deliberations on the 2021-2022 biennial budget. The goal of this process is to create a plan which reflects our community’s values and balances revenues and expenditures for six years.

Learn more:

2019-2020 Final Biennial Budget – full document
City Council Retreat (January 11, 2019) – video, meeting materials
City Council Study Session with City of Kirkland representatives (April 22, 2019) – video, meeting materials
City Council Study Session with City of Shoreline representatives (April 23, 2019) – video, meeting materials
City Council Special Meeting (October 7, 2019) – video, meeting materials
City Council Regular Meeting (November 12, 2019) – video, meeting materials
City Council Retreat (January 10-11, 2020) - video, meeting materials