Explaining
Difficult
Budget Issues
Opening up the Can of…..
Pennies, Dollars and more
Overview – A few questions
Current level of outreach/engagement?
Minimal – Moderate – Out the Wazoo
Use of social media
In general – On budget matters
Use of citizen-focused meetings, workshops?
Preparing simplified budget information?
“You balance the budget” games or exercises?
Overview – John’s “Wisdom”
• Five moving pieces
• Elected board interests
• About the information – what
and how
• Outreach and engagement
• Difficult budget messages
Five moving pieces – no easy formula
PIO/public affairs – getting the word out
Finance/Budget staff – what is the word,
and the figures!
City/County Manager – staff-Elected Board
relations, old and new procedures
Elected Board
“Consumers” of the information residents, citizens, organized stakeholder groups,
individual advocates, media
Elected Board interests
• Hot topic
Handle carefully
Don’t make our job
harder
• Supplement - do not replace - contact with
citizens, stakeholder groups
• Easier to focus on big picture – such as taxes, capital
projects, services
ABOUT THE INFORMATION – the what
and the how
• Levels/complexity of budget information
• Context: Comparison data
Your jurisdiction
Other jurisdictions
• Old media – New media
Outreach and Engagement
• Reaching many busy citizens vs.
Small number of advocates
• Fairness – ease of participation, methods
of dissemination, invitation to a public
meeting
• Headlines vs. the tough details
• Single-issue focus vs. Balancing
priorities – Can citizens understand and
struggle with the trade-offs that the Board
faces?
DIFFICULT BUDGET MESSAGES
•
•
•
•
•
We can’t do that
It is not that simple
Re-valuation and “revenue neutral” tax rate
Fund balance is not a “slush fund”
Managing separate funds – cannot (or should not)
move money between them
2011 SOG resource
• Creating Effective Citizen Participation in Local
Government Budgeting: Practical Tips and
Examples for Elected Officials and Budget
Administrators
• http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.433425/it.I/id.479/.f
Image credit: Andrew M. Sachs