fy2014 citizen centric report

Profile of the City of Suffolk, VirginiaThe present City of Suffolk was formed January 1, 1974, from the consolidation of the City of Suffolk and the City of Nansemond (formerly Nansemond County). The City is Virginia’s largest city in land area and one of the top

fifteen largest cities in land area in the nation with over 400 square miles. The diverse landscape includes a mix of rural, suburban and urban development areas. The City is situated in the western portion of Hampton Roads, Virginia’s coastal plain area, and is bound by the James River to the north, the Cities of Chesapeake and Portsmouth to the east, the State of North Carolina to the south, and the Counties of Southampton and Isle of Wight to the west. The City of Suffolk is one of seven major cities that form the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News metropolitan area with 1.6

million people. This region is also known as the Hampton Roads area. The City’s government is organized under the Council-Manager form of government. The governing body, the City Council, is composed of seven members and a Mayor who collectively develop policies for the administration of the City. The Mayor is elected at large and each Council Member is elected by borough in a city-wide election every other year, with terms of office being four years. The City Council appoints a City Manager to act as administrative head of the City. The City Manager serves at the pleasure of City Council and carries out the City Council’s policies and directs business procedures. The City Manager also appoints the directors of all departments. As a full service city, Suffolk provides a broad range of municipal services authorized by statute or charter. These services include education, public safety, highways and streets, parks and recreations, sanitation, health and social services, public improvements, planning and zoning, public utilities, storm water management and general administrative.

Population 86,463 87,831Unemployment Rate 6.5% 6.0%Full-Time Equivalent City Employees 1303 1315New and Expanding Businesses** 59 85Per Capita Income** $41,344(a) $41,749(b)Median Household Income** $65,394(a) $66,085(b)2nd Highest in Region ** Most recent data available for New and Expanding Businesses, Per Capita and Median Household Income is Calendar Years 2012(a) and 2013(b)

DemograPhiC information fiSCal year fiSCal year 2013 2014 table of ContentS

City Profile and Demographic Information

Page 2Performance Accomplishments and Key Measures

Page 3Fiscal Year 2014 Revenues and Expenses

Page 4What’s Next?

a rePort to our CitiZenS It’s a good time to be in Suffolk Fiscal Year 2014

Community Indicators2012 2013

2013 comparison

to projected2014

Projected

Average Police response times to priority 1 calls (in minutes) 5:48 5:47 Below 5:28Number of Animal Adoptions 837 849 Below 866 Average fire response times (in minutes) 6:58 6:36 Below 6:36Number of Fire/Safety Inspections 850 818 Below 834

Fund Balance Reserves at/above 12% per city policy 12.8% 12.6% Met 12.2%Number of Participants in Tax Relief Programs (Elderly/Disabled, and Veterans) 1,795 1,905 Met 1,908 Real Estate Tax Collection Rate 97.5% 97.8% Below 97.0%

Circuit Court Number of Civil Cases Closed (numbers reported on the calendar year) 989 991 n/a n/aNumber of victims and witnesses assited by Commonwealth's Attorney office 5,699 5,740 Below 5,797

Tons of Refuse collected annually 41,582 33,463 Below 33,454

Tons of Recycled Refuse Collected 4,593 5,408 Below 5,326

Percent of TANF recipients in employment activities 59% 55% Below 58%Percent of Children with primary health care provider within two months of enrollment 100% 100% Met 100%

Student Enrollment (numbers reported on a school year basis) 13,923 13,930 n/a n/aHigh School Graduation Rate (Four Year Cohort)(numbers reported on a school year basis) 84.1% 87.2% n/a n/a

Ridership (FY12 - service for 6 months) 25,295 59,012 Exceeded 65,715

Library Circulation 326,916 310,475 Below 312,000

Percent of inspections performed within 2 business days or less(numbers reported on the calendar year) 99% 99% Met 99%New Residential Building Permits (numbers reported on the calendar year) 388 573 Exceeded 334 Number of Jobs Created(numbers reported on the calendar Year) 1,957 650 Below 750 Economic Development -- Amount of Capital Investment (In millions)(numbers reported on the calendar Year) $94.0 $94.0 Exceeded $80.0

Transportation

Parks, Recreation and Cultural

Community Development

Education

Public Safety

General Government Administration:

Judicial Administration

Public Works

Health and Welfare

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• Received reaffirmed bond ratings of AA+ from rating agencies in 2013, and soon after the close of FY14, achieved an historic Triple A (AAA) rating following upgrades by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services on the City’s outstanding general obligation bonds (GO) and long term rating.

• Achieved a current 3-year combined real estate and personal property tax collection rate of 99.85%.

• Received award of Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation for the Police Department after several years of intense review, construction, and modification to policies, procedures and practices which are the building blocks of the department’s foundation.

• Launched TipSoft, a service for citizens to anonymously submit crime-related tips via computers and mobile devices, as part of the Police Department’s proactive efforts to prevent, reduce, and solve crime.

• Placed Medic 1 in service 24 hours/day to improve EMS services to the community.

• Completed construction of Police Specialized Equipment Storage Building.

• Completed construction of Nansemond Parkway Phase I.

• Celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of Planters Peanuts’ operation and success in Suffolk with community festivities and events.

• Coordinated the 2013 National Night Out celebration and placed 4th in the nation for our population category marking the 8th straight year the City of Suffolk has placed in the top 5 among all National Night Out events nationwide.

• Added the Suffolk Transit Yellow Line bus route to restore part-day service along the Holland Road corridor and Downtown Business District.

fiSCal year 2014 aCComPliShmentS

PerformanCe rePort on aCComPliShmentS anD key meaSureS

hoW are We Doing?

key meaSureS

What would you like to see reported on this page? Please let us know by contacting the City’s Finance Department at [email protected] or 757-514-7500.

Additional information is available at the City’s website, www.suffolkva.us.

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2012 2013

2013 comparison

to projected2014

Projected

Commonwealth Attorney number of community outreach programs attended 71 71 Below 123 Police Emergency 911 - Citizen surveys conducted 30 240 Met 224 Fire Safety House Presentations n/a 35 n/a 37 Emergency Management - number of training exercises conducted 2 4 Exceeded 2 Visitors to Suffolk Workforce Development Center 2,942 2,916 Exceeded 3,000 Health Department, number of males participating in pregnancy planning/prevention programs 230 232 Met 237 Parks and Recreation number of programs offered {Participants}

32 {3,320}

47{2,851}

Exceeded {Below}

63 {4,000}

Library programs offered {Participants}

914 {14,353}

1024{16,888}

Exceeded {Exceeded}

1070{17,510}

Stormwater educational outreach events 20 20 Met 20

Community Outreach

545

(on average per month)

36,6186,294

68,900

573

3

14,47514,340 14,367

84.1 87.2 86.4

reVenueS anD exPenDitureS

general funD reVenue by SourCe (in millionS) fye 06/30/14

general funD exPenDiture by funCtion (in millionS) fye 06/30/14

Page 2

The City’s financial statements are audited annually by an independent auditor. This audit resulted in a clean audit opinion for Fiscal year 2014. Complete financial information can be found on our website at www.suffolkva.us.

the City’S finanCeS

We Want to hear from youDo you like this report? What other information would you like to see contained in this report? Please let us know by contacting the Finance Department at [email protected] or 757-514-7500. Please see the City’s website at www.suffolkva.us for additional information, including the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the City Profile and Statistical Digest.

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General Fund Revenue By Source (In Millions)

Revenue by Source: FY Ending 06/30/2013

FY Ending 06/30/2014

Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes 103.0$ 108.3$ Other Local Taxes 36.4 36.1 Permits, Fees and Regulatory Licenses 1.1 1.0 Fines and forfeitures 1.0 0.9 Revenue from Use of Money and Property 0.6 0.6 Charges for Services 4.9 3.5 Miscellaneous 1.2 1.2 State Revenue 20.7 20.0 Federal Revenue 4.9 5.0 Transfers In 2.2 2.5 Total Revenues 176.0$ 179.1$

General Fund Expenditures by Function (In Millions)

Expenditures by Function: FY Ending 06/30/2013


General Government Administration 14.2$ 14.0$ Judicial Administration 7.4 7.3 Public Safety 45.4 48.0 Public Works 1.7 1.3 Health and Welfare 12.8 12.9 Education 49.2 49.1 Parks, Recreation and Cultural 7.5 7.8 Community Development 7.2 7.6 Nondepartmental 0.5 0.5 Transfers Out - Debt 23.9 24.8 Transfers Out - Other 4.6 4.6 Total Expenditures 174.4$ 177.9$

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86.4

The City is committed to being responsible stewards of our taxpayer dollars and will continue to address the strategic needs and priorities of the City through the implementation of cost reduction strategies. A good measure of the City’s ability to cope with unexpected financial challenges or emergencies is the ratio of unassigned General Fund balance as a percentage of the budgeted governmental funds expenditures. The target for this ratio is 12%. The City has exceeded this target for FY2014.

The Economy of Suffolk is continuing to grow as evidenced by the following trends:• Unemployment is 6.0%, down from 6.5% in the previous year. • Median Home sales price is $247,800, up from $244,059 last year.• A 40.5% increase in new residential building permits issued over the prior year.

As the City expands its efforts to revitalize the downtown area and historic district, we are challenged with creating short and long term strategies to augment and improve the public parking environment in Downtown Suffolk. Additionally, the opportunity to create a public park/gathering space would enhance the sense of “place” in this redeveloping important district in the City.

The City Council has adopted the following goals to set the course for the City over the next 1-5 years:1. Promote Strong Financial Management and Fiscal Accountability.2. Provide Effective and Efficient Programs and Services that are Accountable and

Customer Focused.3. Promote a Safe, Healthy, and Diverse Community in which to Live, Work, Learn,

and Play.4. Diversify and Enhance the Local Economy. 5. Provide Safe and Quality Transportation Options.6. Promote Citizen Engagement.

uPComing CaPital ProjeCtSThe City has adopted a ten year Capital Improvement plan to cover the needed improvements throughout the city.

Some of these Improvements include: • New Elementary School• New Middle School• Suffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail• Fire Station 1 Renovations• Village and Neighborhood Improvements

• The new E-911/Municipal Building recently opened with a “one-stop-shop” layout which enhances service for Suf-folk citizens.

• Economic Development efforts brought 650 new jobs to Suffolk.

• New and existing businesses have in-vested $94 million in creating or ex-panding business in Suffolk.

• The Real Estate tax rate of $1.03 per $100 of assessed value is the 2nd lowest in the region.

• School Enrollment has increased by 7% over the last 10 years.

the City’S eConomiC outlook anD ChallengeS moVing forWarD

it’S a gooD time to be in Suffolk

about CitiZen CentriC rePortingThe Association of Government Accountants (AGA) developed guidance on producing Citizen Centric Reporting as a method to demonstrate accountability to residents and answer the question, “Are we better off today than we were last year?” Additional details can be found at the AGA Website: www.agacgfm.org/citizen/

our Commitment to SuffolkSuffolk continues to be one of the brightest lights in Hampton Roads and 2014 was a perfect reason why! With several positive indicators of growth in this difficult economic climate, Suffolk has overcome

financial hurdles to land itself in the enviable position of creating opportunity for all! I know I am very excited for the coming successes of 2015. ~ Selena Cuffee-Glenn, City Manager

What’S next?

fy2014 citizen centric report

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