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 mediaIn 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 formulaPIO/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 carefullyDon’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 jurisdictionOther 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