Reimagining the Budget

November 9, 2018 1:30 PM
by Tim Dodd

This article originally appeared in the November-December edition of Seascape. 

In the winter of 2017, in preparation for the FY 2017-19 Biennial Budget, the City began a process of organizing the work we do to serve the community around the achievement of key outcomes. The Framework, which Council approved with the adoption of the budget in June 2017, creates a structure through which we will measure progress towards becoming a Sustainable City of Wellbeing.

 The shift to a reimagined, performance-based biennial budget provides staff and the community with a data-driven methodology by which to allocate existing resources to areas that help achieve outcomes through a Framework for a Sustainable City of Wellbeing. This is a critical shift as the City looks ahead to significant financial challenges in the coming years from steep increases in pension costs due to the City’s long-term unfunded pension liability and a flattening of existing revenue sources in a new economy. The City Council will adopt a fiscal sustainability philosophy that will help guide budget development. Additionally, the City will transition from 5- to 10-year forecasts to enhance our understanding of the impacts that pension costs and new programs and projects will have on the budget.

The transition to performance-based budgeting will continue through a number of future biennial budget periods as various elements are introduced each year. Staff expects to have sufficient data to begin using metrics to inform our budget decision-making during the FY 2021-23 Biennial Budget.

Community engagement will be important every step of the way, and in preparation for the FY 2019-21 Biennial Budget, the City will be looking to community members to help refine budget priorities. We are asking you to be active participants in this dynamic process by joining community conversations, visiting us at City events, and responding to a community survey.

For more information on how you can get involved, please visit smgov.net. For more information about the Framework for a Sustainable City of Wellbeing, please visit smgov.net/samostat.

Authored By

Tim Dodd
Chief Performance Officer