Garden City Budget News
By Roy S. Ryniker and Bob Sundius

An examination of the Village of Garden City's budget requires an analysis of the various expenditure levels against desired service levels. This analysis is supported by researching the budgets of other municipalities, identifying variances with Garden City's financials, and understanding the reasons for the variances.

The New York State Office of the State Comptroller provides financial information on all municipalities in the State. Garden City residents can do their research on our Village's budget and compare it with those of other villages. To access this information:

1. go to www.osc.state.ny.us

2. click on Local Governments

3. click on Financial Data

4. click on Financial Data for Local Governments

5. check for a spreadsheet, select 2005 (most recent fiscal year), for class category, select Villages

This will provide you fiscal year 2005 budget information (types of revenues, types of expenditures, debt levels, etc.) on 553 villages in New York. You can review the information, and for those adroit with using spreadsheets, you can sort the data by any revenue or expense category.

The current fiscal year is 2007 - 2008. The Village's budgets for prior years are available for review in the Library or at Village Hall. Village management presents each fiscal year budget in comparison with the prior year's budget. We encourage residents to spend a few minutes reviewing these materials.

How did Garden City's budget for fiscal year 2005 compare with all the other villages?

BenchmarkGarden City Ranking($ millions)

Population (21,672 people)10

Total Revenues 4 $51.4

Total Expenses 4 $51.6

Debt Outstanding34 $9.0

Equipment & Capital Outlays17 $3.8

Employee Benefits 3 $9.8

Total Fire Dept Expenditures 2 $5.2

Total Police Department Expenditures 3 $10.6

Full Valuation of Taxable Real Property 3$5.1 Billion

Variances from the financial performance of other villages should not lead one to draw immediate conclusions about Garden City's financial management, but rather, those variances serve as a basis for developing an appreciation for the manner in which our Village is managed. Beyond this website and reviewing budgets, residents can become better informed by attendance at public meetings and asking questions about current fiscal developments. With knowledge, we can all better assess the fiscal requirements of effectively managing the Village of Garden City. An understanding of the variances can lead to recommendations about the budget and the budgeting process.

The Citizens' Budget Review Committee was formed by the Property Owners Associations in advance of the process that resulted in the budget adopted by the Trustee's for the current year. The Committee's mission was to provide the residents and the Board of Trustees with the analysis and information to support their efforts to make more informed decisions concerning the budgeted expenditures and receipts for the Village.

Roy S. Ryniker is President of the Reorganization Alternatives Group, Ltd. and Chairman of the Garden City Citizens' Budget Review Committee (Roy.Ryniker@ReAltGroup.com). Bob Sundius is a corporate executive and financial advisor for middle market companies (rwsundius@interim-exec-mgmt.com). Contact them with comments/suggestions regarding the Village's operations and budget.