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File #: 2025-4433    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Non-Consent Status: Passed
File created: 8/5/2025 In control: STEERING COMMITTEE
On agenda: 8/27/2025 Final action: 8/27/2025
Title: BUDGET INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-25
Sponsors: Wally Ritchie
Attachments: 1. Agenda Report
Related files: 2024-3865, 2024-3665, 2024-4014, 2025-4461

FROM:                     Robert Thompson, General Manager

                     Originator: Wally Ritchie, Director of Finance 

 

SUBJECT:

 

title

BUDGET INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-25

end

 

GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION

 

recommendation

RECOMMENDATION:  Recommend to the Board of Directors to:

Approve a budget increase of $20,000,000 for FY 2024-25, for a total budget as follows:

 

 

FY 2024-25

Net Operating

$232,674,493

Self-Insurance - Worker’s Comp.

$1,124,029

Self-Insurance - Property & Gen. Liability

$4,402,500

Net Capital Improvement Program

$243,075,113

Debt/COP Service

$61,027,421

Intra-District Joint Equity Purchase/Sale (1)

$3,500,000

Total

$545,803,556

 

(1)                     Cash to/from Revenue Area 14 (RA14) in exchange for capital assets to/from Consolidated Revenue Area 15 (RA15)

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BACKGROUND

 

In June 2024, the Board of Directors approved the Operating, Capital, Debt Service, and Self-Insurance Budgets for FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26.  Subsequently, the Board of Directors approved a land purchase in September 2024, and a construction claim settlement in December 2024.  These actions are capital expenditures and were not included in the original budget.  Staff did not request a budget increase at the time of approval of these expenses believing there was sufficient budget capacity.  In the final months of the fiscal year, pre-planned and budgeted capital expenses were fully realized, driving the need to request a FY 2024-25 budget increase.  However, cashflow remains unaffected due to receiving higher than budgeted revenues, which offset this budget increase.

 

RELEVANT STANDARDS

 

                     Ensure the public’s money is wisely spent

                     Produce appropriate financial reporting - Ops & CIP budgets every two years, with annual update

 

PROBLEM

 

The budget authority for FY2024-25 is not adequate to cover the actual expenses for the fiscal year.  The budget authority was not increased concurrently with the Board approval of the property purchase or construction claim settlement after budget adoption.  Planned operating and capital expenses closely matched budgeted levels for the entire fiscal year, with capital spending picking up in the second half of the year.

 

PROPOSED SOLUTION

 

Approve the proposed budget increase for FY 2024-25.

 

TIMING CONCERNS

 

The budget increase needs to be approved prior to finalizing the audit for FY 2024-25.

 

RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION

 

OC San will not have a budget approved at sufficient levels to accommodate the expenses incurred in FY 2024-25.

 

PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS

 

December 2024 - OHL USA, Inc. v. Orange County Sanitation District

 

September 2024 - Orange County Sanitation District, a public entity v. Bayside Village Marina, LLC

 

June 2024 - Approved the proposed Operating, Capital, Debt Service, and Self-Insurance Budgets for FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 as follows:

 

 

FY 2024-25

FY 2025-26

Net Operating

$232,674,493

$239,114,716

Self-Insurance - Worker’s Comp.

1,124,029

1,182,835

Self-Insurance - Property & Gen. Liability

4,402,500

4,767,000

Net Capital Improvement Program

223,075,113

279,436,128

Debt/COP Service

61,027,421

60,431,104

Intra-District Joint Equity Purchase/Sale (1)

3,500,000

3,500,000

Total

$525,803,556

$588,431,783

 

(1)                     Cash to/from Revenue Area 14 (RA14) in exchange for capital assets to/from Consolidated Revenue Area 15 (RA15)

 

 

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

The table below shows the approved budget and estimated actuals for FY 2024-25, in millions.

 

 

Approved Budget

Estimated Actuals

Variance

Performance Percentage

Capital

 

 

 

 

  Budget Approved

$223

$222

$(1)

100%

  Land Purchase

-

$17

$17

-

  Settlement

-

$7

$7

-

Operating

$233

$229

$(4)

98%

Debt Service

$61

$60

$(1)

98%

Other

$8

$8

$(-)

100%

Total

$525

$543

$18

 

 

The addition of the two subsequent events totaling $24 million was partially offset by reduction in planned expenditures, resulting in OC San expenditures exceeding the budget by $18 million.  However, staff are currently working on finalizing the accounting for FY 2024-25, therefore this request is to increase the prior approved budget by $20 million.

 

Cashflow remains unaffected by the budget increase due to receiving higher than budgeted revenues for FY 2024-25, which offset the request to increase the expenditure budget, detailed in the table below (in millions).

 

 

Adopted Budget

Estimated Actuals

Variance

Revenues

$531

$555

$24

Expenditures

525

543

18

Net Revenues

$6

$12

$6

 

CEQA

 

N/A

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

N/A

 

ATTACHMENT

The following attachment(s) may be viewed on-line at the OC San website (www.ocsan.gov) with the complete agenda package:

 

N/A