No.112 Initial Budget for Fiscal Year 2021

In this year's budget formulation, the impact of COVID-19 continues, resulting in a significant decrease in Municipal Tax revenue.
On the other hand, there is a severe situation where mandatory expenses and fixed costs are increasing in expenditures, including the increase in childcare capacity to eliminate the waiting list for children, the outsourcing of the After-School Childcare Program to the private sector, benefits for children with disabilities, an increase in Public Assistance costs, communication fees due to the provision of one tablet per person to realize the GIGA School concept, and the increase in outsourcing of operations for the newly relocated first kitchen.
The current situation greatly exceeds that of the Lehman Shock, and to raise awareness both domestically and internationally that we are on the brink of a financial crisis, we issued a statement in the budget formulation policy presented last October indicating that we are in a "financial crisis alert state."
In this situation, while implementing a 5% negative ceiling on discretionary expenses, we prioritized four points in budget formulation: first, efforts to protect the lives and livelihoods of citizens from COVID-19; second, sustainable financial and administrative management aimed at realizing the future urban image defined in the basic concept of the Fifth Long-Term Comprehensive Plan of Inagi City; third, disaster prevention and mitigation measures with the safety of citizens as the top priority; and fourth, reviewing the burden on beneficiaries and securing new financial resources while further reducing expenses.

We would like to inform you of the summary as it was approved and established at the 1st Regular Session of the City Council.
The amount of the General Fund Budget for fiscal year 2021 is 35.69 billion yen, making it the fourth largest budget in history, a decrease of 1.715 billion yen or 4.6% compared to the previous year.
Municipal Tax, which forms the backbone of revenue, has decreased by 3.5%, approximately 540 million yen, due to the decrease in income of taxpayers affected by COVID-19 and the decision to maintain the taxable standard amount for land as a COVID-19 measure. Although the local allocation tax has increased by 26.0% considering this impact, the increase amounts to only about 154 million yen, resulting in a total general revenue of approximately 18.55 billion yen, which is a decrease of 1.7%.
The main construction projects for this year include improvements to City Road No. 171 (Keio Yomiuri Land Station North Exit Square), improvements to Yomiuri Land Lines No. 3, 4, and 12, pump replacement at the Oshitate Drainage Pump Station, renovation of the tennis courts at Shiroyama Park, and demolition of the old first kitchen for School Lunch, with a total related cost of approximately 875 million yen.
By the end of last fiscal year, approximately 2.6 billion yen worth of construction projects have been completed, including the renovation of the air conditioning system at City Hall, the development of the second and third City Hall parking lots, the construction of the (tentative name) Cycle Cafe, and the relocation and rebuilding of the first School Lunch kitchen, resulting in a reduction of about 1.7 billion yen in construction costs.

Next, we will introduce the distinctive budgets for each policy issue.

50th Anniversary of City Administration
On November 1, 2021, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city system, and we will implement commemorative projects such as holding a memorial ceremony, establishing a city song, creating a commemorative publication, and screening a movie.

Olympic and Paralympic Related
Although it has been postponed for one year, we have budgeted for expenses such as support for the torch relay and bicycle road race operations, just like last year. Additionally, as a legacy of cycling, a monument will be installed in front of the Inagi Central Park Cycle Cafe.

Child Care Support Related
The opening of "Shiodome Nursery School Inagi" due to the reconstruction and relocation privatization of the Third Nursery School, the increase in capacity due to the flexibility of the Fifth Nursery School's capacity, and the increase in capacity for younger children due to the privatization of the Sixth Nursery School aim to eliminate the waiting list for children. Additionally, we will implement various projects such as distributing parenting packages, First Birthday support, support for families with multiple births, transportation cost assistance, and postpartum care at the Inagi version of Neubola, the "Parent and Child Comprehensive Support Center," which was established in December 2020.

Older Adults Support Related
We coordinate information on three public insurance programs (National Health Insurance, Late-Stage Elderly Medical Care, Long-Term Care Insurance) and implement all health projects in an integrated manner to support the health issues of Older Adults. Additionally, we estimate the expected service volume in the Long-Term Care Insurance business plan for fiscal years 2021 to 2023 (8th term) and revise the premiums to provide sustainable services.

Disability Support Related
Due to the limited number of day service facilities in the city for individuals with severe physical and mental disabilities who require medical care, we will establish a subsidy system to promote their attraction and retention.

Welfare Consultation and Economic Support
The loan deadline for the COVID-19 special financial assistance project will be extended until March 31, 2022. Additionally, due to the increase in consultations at the welfare living consultation desk, we will maintain the system for increasing the number of counselors.

Education Related
The After-School Childcare Programs at Nagamine Elementary School and Hirao Elementary School will be privatized to meet diverse needs, and the capacity of the After-School Childcare Program at Minamiyama Elementary School will be expanded. Additionally, in line with the operation of the new first cooking facility at the School Lunch joint cooking center, we will start residue recycling (composting) and promote environmental measures.

Community Development Related to Safety and Security
We will replace the pumps at the aging Oshitate Drainage Pump Station to prepare for the prevention of internal water flooding, and we will conduct special inspections and maintenance (overhauls) of the fire department's ladder trucks.

Creation of Vibrancy and Community Development Related
In cooperation with the Inagi City Sister City Friendship Exchange Association, we will establish a sister city partnership with Foster City, California, USA, and implement exchange projects.

This fiscal year, although we are in a financial crisis alert state, we are determined to secure the necessary level of services for citizens' lives and to carry out continuous reviews of administrative operations and efficient and effective city administration. In light of the hardships faced by citizens due to the impact of COVID-19, we will also implement a measure to reduce the monthly salaries of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Education Director by 10% for the entire year of fiscal year 2021.
In addition, regarding COVID-19 measures, the Supplementary Budget No. 11 for fiscal year 2020 and the Supplementary Budget No. 1 for fiscal year 2021 have been separately accounted for, and the vaccination project has been included as the Supplementary Budget No. 2 for fiscal year 2021, which has been approved and established in this council.
This year, let us all work together to overcome the impact of COVID-19 and make it a good year.