Clayton leads and fosters collaboration among public, private, and non-profit entities for the greater good of the community and the region. • Economic Development and Vibrant Downtown - Clayton is a premier economic center, welcoming and fostering entrepreneurs and new companies, attracting diverse talent while maintaining and promoting established businesses and investment. Clayton’s economy and sense of place is anchored by a vibrant downtown that is characterized by a blend of corporate headquarters, local businesses, restaurants, residences, retail uses, and regional government.

v Sustainability The City continues to lead the region as a “green” city by becoming a Green Power Partner and a Green Power Community. The City received a St. Louis Green Business Challenge Award in 2021 for its commitment to sustainability through various “green” projects, policies, and equipment replacement. The City’s police facility is certified at the LEED Platinum level, and the facility also includes an installation which was the largest non- utility owned solar array in the State of Missouri when built.

LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING

The City updates a five-year capital improvement plan annually and includes this information in the budget document. Over the next five years, the capital plan includes nearly $14.9 million in infrastructure, parks, and facility improvements. The plan is funded by annual revenues, grants, and a portion of the remaining General Obligation bond funds.

The Board of Aldermen has approved a budget for the fiscal year 2024 General Fund with a projected surplus of $689,730 which reflects the implementation of a recommendations from a recent compensation study and continued high levels of service. The budget projects an ending General Fund balance equal to 79% of annual operating expenditures. The previous budget for FY 2023 had projected a deficit, but year-end results ended with a surplus. The City is committed to ongoing review of revenue and service options to maintain a balanced budget in the long-term.

AWARDS

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The City has submitted the FY 2022 ACFR for consideration and is awaiting the results of the award application, which is currently in final processing. The Certificate of Achievement is a prestigious national award recognizing conformance with the highest standards for preparation of state and local government financial reports. In order to be awarded a Certificate of Achievement, a government must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized annual financial report. This report must satisfy both generally accepted accounting principles and applicable legal requirements. A Certificate of Achievement is valid for a period of one year and the City has received this award for 35 consecutive years as of the FY 2021 award. We believe our current report continues to conform to the Certificate of Achievement Program requirements, and we intend to submit this document to GFOA for award consideration.

Additionally, the GFOA awarded the Popular Financial Reporting Award (PAFR) to the City for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, and the City is awaiting results from the FY 2022 submission. This award is for the City’s production of a high quality annual financial report using an extraction of information from their Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. This report is designed to be readily accessible and easily understood by the general public and other non-financial parties. This award is also valid for a period of one year and the City has received this award for seven years as of the FY 2021 award. The City intends to also prepare a PAFR to conform with the award requirements for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023 and will submit this document to GFOA for award consideration.

The GFOA has also awarded the Distinguished Budget Award to the City for its fiscal year 2023 budget. The City has received this award for 16 years. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as an operations guide, as a financial plan, and as a communications device. This award is valid for a period of one year and the City has submitted the fiscal year 2024 budget document for award consideration.