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 $11.5 million in infrastructure, parks, and facility improvements. The plan is funded by annual revenues, grants, a portion of the remaining General Obligation bond funds.

The Board of Aldermen has approved a budget for the fiscal year 2023 General Fund with a projected deficit of $2,274,360 which is planned as a one-time use of fund balance as the City experiences inflation-related price increases related to contracts and commodities while revenues continue to return to pre-pandemic levels. Previous budgets have resulted in year-end surpluses over the last several years which has helped build a strong General Fund unassigned fund balance of 73% of annual expenditures. The City is committed to adjusting revenue and service options to maintain a balanced budget in the longer-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 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. 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 only and the City has received this award for the last 35 consecutive years. We believe our current report continues to conform to the Certificate of Achievement Program requirements, and we are submitting this document to GFOA for award consideration.

Additionally, the GFOA has awarded the Popular Financial Reporting Award (PAFR) to the City for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. 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. The City intends to also prepare a PAFR to conform with the award requirements for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022 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 2022 budget. The City has received this award for 15 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 only and the City has already submitted the fiscal year 2023 budget document for award consideration.