Departmental Highlights

Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2024 Budget

	2024 Budgeted	2025 Proposed	Net Change	Percent Change
Appropriations	$15,341,039	$15,091,753	-$249,286	-1.62%
Positions & FTEs	92	92	0	0.00%

• The clerk’s office budget remained largely the same as the previous year’s, with a slight decrease in overall appropriations and no net change in budgeted headcount. 
• Apart from title/seniority changes, the only significant adjustments to budgeted positions were the elimination of the department’s “Web Author” position and the addition of an additional proofreader position.
• Outside contracting through the professional and technical services appropriation increased significantly for the clerk’s office, up 49.1% from last year to a $1.3 million appropriation in the 2025 proposal.
• Software licensing and maintenance saw the largest single-category decrease, down -20.2% from last year’s budget to $2.3 million in the new proposal. 

Historical Context

From 2011-2024, the city clerk’s office budget grew at an average rate of 5.3% per year. Departmental budgets overall increased an average of 6.1% per year over the same time period, while the total city budget including Finance General appropriations grew at an average rate of 8.5% annually.

The department’s budgeted workforce declined at a rate of roughly -1.6% annually from 2011-2024. Overall budgeted positions for the city remained relatively flat across the same time period, with minor year-to-year fluctuations averaging out to an overall growth rate of 0.04%.

Staffing

Apart from title/seniority changes, the only significant adjustments to budgeted positions were the elimination of the department’s “Web Author” position and the addition of an additional proofreader position. 

Appropriations

The clerk’s office is more than half funded through the vehicle tax fund. The remainder of department appropriations, apart from a $39,000 local grant appropriation for material and supplies, are funded out of the corporate fund. 

Largest Appropriations

Personnel expenses make up the bulk of the clerk’s office appropriations, with third-party spending on software maintenance and licensing and professional and technical services the next-largest categories. 

Change from Previous Year

Outside contracting through the professional and technical services appropriation increased significantly for the clerk’s office, up 49.1% from last year to a $1.3 million appropriation in the 2025 proposal.

Software licensing and maintenance saw the largest single-category decrease, down -20.2% from last year’s budget to $2.3 million in the new proposal.