Municipal Budget Consultant for City Administration

The City of East Orange, located in Essex County, New Jersey, is actively soliciting qualification proposals from experienced persons and/or firms to provide Municipal Budget Consultant Services for its City Administration. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeks a consultant to assist with the development of the 2026 budget, create 2024 and 2025 budget models, and furnish various analytical tools related to the 2025 budget. The comprehensive scope of work includes supporting the City Administrator, Chief Financial Officer, and Budget Director, facilitating coordination among department directors and external advisors, meeting with local and state officials and stakeholders to explore new revenue sources and budget restructuring, and developing "dashboard" analytical tools for various city departments. Key deliverables encompass reviewing and modifying the 2025 budget, strategizing new revenue streams for 2025, and preparing in-depth analyses and recommendations for both the 2024 and 2025 budgets. The contract period for these crucial financial services is set for one year, spanning from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Contractor qualifications are stringent, demanding expertise in modern government budgeting problems, concepts, practices, and methods, alongside statistical and research theory. Proposers must demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years of experience in the development, evaluation, analysis, and revision of budgetary control systems, as well as in budget preparation and presentation. Furthermore, the successful respondent must possess five years of experience with the New Jersey Calendar Year Municipal Budget, exhibit thorough knowledge of New Jersey Budget Laws and Regulations, and be either a Registered Municipal Accountant (RMA) or a Certified Municipal Financial Officer (CMFO) in the State of New Jersey, with at least five years' experience in either capacity. Required submission documents include the legal name and address of the individual or firm, years in business, resumes of all personnel designated as City Administration Budget Consultants, and contact information for three (3) current calendar year municipal budget clients as references. There are no mandatory pre-bid meetings or site visits specified for this solicitation. Qualification Proposals must be delivered to the City of East Orange's Purchasing Agent, located in the Division of Procurement on the 1st floor of City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ 07018. The definitive submission deadline is Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 11:00 AM prevailing time, at which point proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud. Submissions can be mailed or hand-delivered and must be sealed, bearing the consultant's name and the distinct title "MUNICIPAL BUDGET CONSULTING SERVICES FOR CITY ADMINISTRATION" on the exterior. Each submission must comprise one (1) original (unbound), two (2) physical copies, and one (1) electronic copy on a thumb drive. Mandatory compliance forms include a Non-Collusion Affidavit, Disclosure of Ownership Form, Insurance Requirement Acknowledgement Form, various EEO/Affirmative Action Compliance Notices, a Business Registration Certificate, and a Qualification Affidavit. Professional Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per claim and $3,000,000 aggregate per policy period is required upon contract award. For any inquiries, interested parties should contact Racquel C. Ferguson, QPA, Purchasing Agent, at (973) 266-5162. No specific bid security or performance bonds are required with the proposal submission.