City staff members have started developing the 2010 budget and are introducing a new process for reviewing budget requests from community organizations. This article provides an overview of this year’s budget process and deadlines.
The City follows the rules in the Colorado Revised Statutes regarding budget deadlines and the public hearing process. Council must be presented with a budget by October 15. They are required to set a public hearing date, publish specific information and, ultimately, approve the budget before the end of the current fiscal year.
The following budget timeline has been set:
- Community support request deadline Aug 31
- Department head / finance director 1×1 meetings Aug 31 – Sept 11
- Staff work session Sept 16
- Council work session Sept 22
- Submit proposed budget to council Oct 6
- Public hearing Oct 20
- 2nd council work session (if needed) Week of Oct 26
- 2nd public hearing (if needed) Nov 3
The budget process involves developing standalone budgets for the City’s General Fund, Conservation Trust Fund, SteamPlant Event Center Fund, and the separate water and sewer operations within the Water Activity Enterprise Fund. The City has both general government and business type (or “enterprise”) funds. The government funds are primarily supported by sales taxes and intergovernmental revenue. Enterprise funds are used for business-type activities with user fees and charges expected to cover costs.
The City was awarded over $2.4 million in grant funds for capital projects in 2009. We are striving to secure grants for the same level of funding in 2010 to be used for the needed upgrade of the wastewater treatment facility and other projects.
One of the most important parts of setting the budget is establishing the top priority needs to be met and determining other goals the council and community members want to achieve. If existing sources do not provide enough funding, new revenue streams must be found or cuts will be made.
Staff plans to first meet with city council to establish goals and priorities for next year. We encourage citizens to speak to their council representatives and attend the public hearing in October so that broad community input can be considered.
Budgets are based on a variety of assumptions about what the future holds. Planning assumptions will include the rate of expected inflation for goods and services purchased by the City, the increase or decrease in taxable sales, lodging occupancy rates, volume of the demand for municipal services that users must pay to receive, future interest rates, etc. After evaluating these assumptions and the level of fixed costs in the budget, staff will make recommendations to council about the variable or discretionary areas of spending. Priorities are based on a number of factors, such as public safety, benefits to the community, avoidance of future capital spending and future cost efficiencies.
Setting a budget always involves difficult decisions, especially during slow economic times. Most of the available dollars are dedicated to basic municipal services – fire and police protection, public works, land use, planning and administration. Culture, parks, and recreation are also services highly valued by our community.
At this time, the City anticipates having a small amount of funding available to support community initiatives. A new application process is being introduced this year to assist city staff and council to fairly evaluate and prioritize the requests. Available funds will be used to support the highest ranking requests. Organizations with 501(c)(3) status and other not-for-profit groups can contact me for more information if they have projects for which funds are needed.
The upcoming council work sessions and public hearings are open to the public. Dates and times will be posted at City Hall and published in the news media. The public hearing is the officially required forum required by statute to receive feedback. However, residents are encouraged to talk to their council person or contact city staff regarding questions or requests.
Expenditures approved in the budget should reflect the values and priorities of the community. It is our goal to use all resources for the greatest long-term good of Salida. We want to hear from you to help us make the best decisions about serving our constituents.
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