FY 2020 Popular Annual Financial Report FY 2020 Popular Annual Financial Report | Page 4

Popular Annual Financial Report

City Manager ’ s Message

Dear Reader ,

Welcome to Arlington ’ s Popular Annual Financial Report . We model this annual report the same way a corporation would because the City of Arlington is essentially a municipal corporation . And this is our report to you , our shareholders .

While not required by law , Arlington ’ s elected and executive leaders believe this report is an integral part of how we communicate to our residents – sharing the openness , transparency and professionalism you expect from your local government . The report contains financial information – both the financial resources and the work those resources funded – for fiscal year 2020 . It also contains key achievements from our city to support the City Council priorities highlighted by Mayor Williams on page 2 and the core service areas of public safety , culture / recreation and infrastructure . This year ’ s report also features a special section highlighting the work by our city organization to reduce the spread of coronavirus and help those in need throughout the pandemic . The work we do embraces the City ’ s values of diversity , kindness , teamwork , responsiveness , respect , innovation , commitment and integrity . I hope this publication helps you become more informed about how your local government works for you .

Like the management of any large organization , we work to track performance through both internal measures and external benchmarks . In 2020 , the City of Arlington achieved some measure of success on both fronts . For example , we saw an 80 % increase in the number of rounds of golf played , a 4 % increase in the number of new library accounts with active use in the last 12 months along with a 70 % increase in circulation of digital materials and a 497 % increase in circulation of Early Learning Kits . There was a 16 % increase in the amount of Homeland Security grant funding secured by the Fire Department , the percent of water utility concrete repairs completed within five business days increased by 9 %, and a 94 % increase in the number of Municipal Court warrants cleared .

With quality city services and smart budgeting , WalletHub ranked the City of Arlington as the best-run city in Texas for the third straight year , and we ’ re the only Texas city to make it in the national Top 30 list . In June , Arlington was awarded Bloomberg Philanthropies ’ What Works Cities Certification at the Gold level , which recognizes cities for using data and evidence in the decisionmaking process . Arlington is one of eight cities to have ever achieved Certification at the gold level , and we are the only city in Texas to have achieved this certification at any level .

The National Association of Town Watch awarded the Arlington Police Department first place in community and department participation during National Night Out . The City ’ s Abram Street Rebuild in Downtown was also awarded the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association 2020 Transportation Project of the Year . These are just a few of Arlington ’ s many recognitions across several departments . A comprehensive list is available on page 17 of this document .

In addition to tracking performance measures and marking our success against our state and national peers , the City also invites Arlington residents to review our work . Each quarter , progress on City Council priorities is shared in online newsletters , and progress is tracked against the annual Budget and Business Plan , also available online .

We also encourage residents to monitor our progress on our Capital Improvement Plan through the City ’ s Bond Tracker webpage ( www . arlingtontx . gov / bondtracker ) and our Your Money in Action video series on MyArlingtonTV . This program is part of our effort to help taxpayers track the journey of voter-approved capital improvement projects and to ensure their tax dollars are being invested wisely .

You can also utilize the performance measurement dashboard on the City ’ s website . These dashboards prominently display real-time data on city programs and service performance measures on everything from police and fire response times to how much residential recycling is collected each month .

2020 was an especially challenging year due to the unprecedented impact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic , but one that also showcased the strength and perseverance of our employees and our residents . While we have more work to do , I ’ m excited about the direction and the standard of excellence set by you , the Arlington residents . The City staff and I are look forward to continuing our work to ensure the highest quality of life possible for our residents .

Sincerely ,

Trey Yelverton City Manager Trey . Yelverton @ ArlingtonTX . gov | 817.459.6101

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