Date Adopted:  09/18/2020			        Working Instruction Number:
Reviewed :  	    03/10/2022							     2020-31

CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO
VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

1.  Purpose: This Working Instruction outlines the financial management of the Commission and applies to all Commissioners and volunteers.  

2.  Requirement:  The Commission shall manage its funds in accordance with City financial management policy and shall annually submit a budget to the City of Aurora’s Commission Liaison. This Working Instruction is in five parts: budgeting, execution, fund raising, reimbursement for individual expenses and obligating funds. 

3.  Responsibilities:  

a.  As outlined in the Commissioners Additional Duties Working Instruction, a Commissioner will be designated as the Commission Financial Officer.  This individual is responsible for working closely with City officials to properly manage Commission funds, submit an annual budget, prepare reports and work with the Commission Planner as part of the Commission’s planning process. 

b.  The City provides a detailed, monthly report that shows the status of Commission funds as well as each income or expense item and the purpose of those transactions.  

c.  The Commission is responsible for reviewing all Commission expenses prior to any Commissioner incurring such expense and making a recommendation to the City as to whether the expense should be approved.

d.  Approval (authorization for payment) or disapproval of an expense rests with the City Liaison.  

PART I-BUDGETING

1-1.   During the annual retreat and in the development of the Commission’s multiyear plan, Commissioners are responsible for identify recurring and one-time costs and sources of income other than the City.  

1-2	The Commission Financial Officer establishes a deadline for budget submissions for the next fiscal year and provides a template for the submission.  Submissions received by the deadline will be consolidated into the Commission’s budget request. 

1-3.   The Commission Financial Officer will present the proposed budget to the Commission for review prior to submission to the City.  

1-4.   Upon Commission approval, the budget is submitted to the City. 

1-5.   The Commission’s budget cycle is linked to the City’s budget cycle.

1-6.   While the City budget process may establish a hard target for Community Service’s commission/board budget, the Commission shall submit its requested budget.  

1-7.   Once the City determines how much the Commission is allocated, the Commission will meet and review its requirements and available funds and adjust programs and activities to remain within the allocated amount. The provisions of Part V apply.  

PART II-EXECUTION

2-1.	The Commission’s Financial Officer monitors the status of Commission funds working closely with City Liaison.  

2-2. 	The Commission will review the status of funds monthly. 

2-3.    Provisions of Parts III-V apply to the execution of Commission funds. 
 
PART III-FUND RAISING

3-1.  All fund-raising activities must be approved in advance by the Commission and the City Liaison. The VAC will use the Spirit of Aurora as the vehicle for any fund-raising activities. 

3-2.  Any funds raised will be provided to the City Liaison for accounting and safekeeping. 

3-3.  Funds raised for a specific purpose may only be used for that purpose.  If there are excess funds remaining after the all expenses are paid for a specific purpose, funds shall be maintained for other VAC activities. 

3-4.  Funds raised for a specific purpose shall be accounted for by the Commissioner responsible for the specific purpose.    

PART IV-REIMBURSEMENT FOR INDIVIDUAL EXPENSES

4-1.  Commissioners may be reimbursed for personal expenses in accordance with City Working Instruction and ordinance 95-53.

4-2.  Commissioners must obtain prior approval from the Commission and the City Liaison before incurring any personal expense. Except in the most extreme cases, Commissioners may be reimbursed up to the amount approved by the Commission/City Liaison, but not more.  In an extreme case where the expense exceeds the approved amount, the Commission must obtain Commission and City Liaison approval for reimbursement of the additional expense, but this approval should not be routine.