Clearfield's budget forecasts reserves $172,968 above its two-month target
Clearfield's fiscal 2027 budget plans to draw $2,197,288 from general fund reserves, leaving a forecast $4,418,637 unrestricted balance. That is $172,968 more than two months of operating expenses, after about $1.8 million in capital requests were deferred or eliminated.
Continuing story: Auditing Clearfield
Clearfield's fiscal 2027 budget forecasts that the city's unrestricted general fund balance will end the year at $4,418,637, which is $172,968 above a benchmark of two months of operating expenses, according to the budget's general fund summary. [1]
The City Council adopted the budget, Ordinance 2026-11, by a 4–0 vote on Aug. 11, 2026, with Councilmember Nike Peterson absent. [3]
The forecast
The budget estimates the general fund will begin the year with an unrestricted balance of $6,615,925. It plans $29,336,003 in expenditures against $27,138,715 in revenues and other sources and lists a $2,197,288 "Use of Available Reserves." [1]
Subtracting that use from the estimated beginning balance gives the forecast ending balance of $4,418,637. The budget lists a two-month operating expense figure of $4,245,669 and an "Amount Above Two Mnth Oper" of $172,968. [1]
The budget says available general fund cash at the end of fiscal 2027 "is 63 days of operating expenses, which exceeds the target of 2 months." It shows the forecast unrestricted balance as 17.7% of revenues. [1]
Deferred projects
The city manager's budget message says that, to maintain a minimum general fund reserve equal to 60 days of operating expenses, "approximately $1.8 million in projects were deferred or eliminated." A list of major budget changes also says the city "deferred or eliminated $1.8M of capital requests." The document does not list the deferred items. [1]
The message refers to a 60-day minimum, while the summary table measures the forecast against two months and reports 63 days. [1]
The budget says the general fund's "ongoing revenue marginally exceeds its operating expense." [1]
At the Aug. 11 meeting, the minutes say, staff described the planned drawdown of cash reserves as intentional and used for one-time expenses. [3]
The audited baseline
The fiscal 2025 audited report measures fund balance on a different basis. At June 30, 2025, the general fund's total balance was $7,144,030, of which $5,557,543 was unassigned. [2]
That balance fell $1,395,922 during fiscal 2025. The report attributes the decrease to "planned use of reserves for capital projects." [2][4]
Elsewhere, the report says unrestricted general fund balance was 24.29% of total general fund revenues and within the range set by state law. [5]
The $4,418,637 balance and $172,968 margin are budget forecasts measured against a city benchmark, not audited results and not a finding that the city is below any legal minimum. The fiscal 2025 total balance and the fiscal 2027 unrestricted forecast use different classifications and should not be compared directly.
Sources
- Clearfield City · Fiscal 2027 final budget (Ordinance 2026-11)
- Clearfield City · FY2025 ACFR, governmental funds statements
- Clearfield City Council · Approved minutes, Aug. 11, 2026
- Clearfield City · FY2025 ACFR, management's discussion and analysis
- Clearfield City · Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, fiscal 2025
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted, checked against those records.