Department of Fleet & Facility Management – BGA Policy 2025 Budget Snapshot

The Department of Fleet & Facility Management, which is varyingly acronymized as both 2FM and FFM in city documentation, was created in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's first budget by the merger of the Department of Fleet Management with most of the responsibilities of the Department of General Services.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's first budget created a new Department of Assets, Information and Services by combining the existing Department of Innovation and Technology (DOIT) and Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM). A 2022 BGA Policy analysis showed budgetary efficiencies and savings in appropriations budgeted for by both departments pre-merger.

Mayor Johnson undid the merger in his first budget, returning to a standalone information department (now DOTI rather than DOIT) and a separate 2FM in 2024.

The historical overview in this snapshot includes data from the Department of Fleet Services in the 2011 budget, the combined 2FM in the 2012-2019 budgets, and the combined AIS in the 2020-2023 budgets.

Departmental Highlights

Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2024 Budget

• Headcount continues to decline after the 2024 budget split AIS back into 2FM and DOTI, while a smaller dip in appropriations in 2024 has been largely undone by the 5.2% increase in the proposed 2025 budget.
• Budgeted appropriations are up despite the separation of the department from DOTI and a reduction in federal pandemic funds, with 2FM drawing more heavily on local funds across the board. 2FM appropriations increased from the corporate, airport, sewer and water, fuel and vehicle, and library funds, as well as from CDBG grants.
• No titles were eliminated other than through retitling. The reduction in budgeted headcount comes from reductions in existing roles, with the largest non-retitled changes to the watchman (-9) and custodial worker (-3) titles.
• As with several other departments, 2FM's budget includes a "reserve balance" appropriation from a number of grant funds. This appropriation, which appears in several department's budgets and has been retroactively added to 2024 appropriations data as well, was not used in the previous year's budget at the time of its passage. BGA Policy has reached out to the Office of Budget and Management for clarification of this appropriation's purpose and has not yet received a reply.
• Apart from the new reserve balance appropriation, 2FM saw its largest increases in the electricity, rental of property, overtime, and repair parts and material appropriations. Overtime increased particularly dramatically, up 87.6% (a $5.6 million increase).
• The proposed budget's largest 2FM reductions are to the professional and technical services (outside contracting), maintenance of facilities, and gasoline appropriations.

Historical Context

Departmental budgets and staffing from 2011-2023 show jumps at merger years: in 2012, when the Department of Fleet Management was merged with the Department of General Services, and again to a lesser degree in 2020 when the Department of Innovation and Technology was merged with the Department of Fleet & Facilities Management.

Headcount declined in the 2024 budget when AIS split back into 2FM and DOTI, with a smaller dip in appropriations largely undone by the 5.2% increase in the proposed 2025 budget.

Staffing

2FM headcount continues to decline after the de-merging of 2FM and DOTI, with a net reduction of 21 budgeted positions/FTEs in the 2025 budget proposal.

No titles were eliminated other than through retitling. The reduction in budgeted headcount comes from reductions in existing roles, with the largest non-retitled changes to the watchman (-9) and custodial worker (-3) titles.

Appropriations

Budgeted appropriations are up despite the separation of the department from DOTI and a reduction in federal pandemic funds, with 2FM drawing more heavily on local funds across the board. 2FM appropriations increased from the corporate, airport, sewer and water, fuel and vehicle, and library funds, as well as from CDBG grants.

Largest Appropriations

As with most departments, salary and wages on payroll is 2FM's largest appropriation. The department has several large, non-personnel appropriation categories as well, however, t0 cover a variety of the city's building-related expenses.

Change from Previous Year

As with several other departments, 2FM's budget includes a "reserve balance" appropriation from a number of grant funds. This appropriation, which appears in several department's budgets and has been retroactively added to 2024 appropriations data as well, was not used in the previous year's budget at the time of its passage. BGA Policy has reached out to the Office of Budget and Management for clarification of this appropriation's purpose and has not yet received a reply.

Apart from the new reserve balance appropriation, 2FM saw its largest increases in the electricity, rental of property, overtime, and repair parts and material appropriations. Overtime increased particularly dramatically, up 87.6% (a $5.6 million increase).

The proposed budget's largest 2FM reductions are to the professional and technical services (outside contracting), maintenance of facilities, and gasoline appropriations.

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