Process begins for developing City’s 2009 Budget
Community, employee participation important to developing proposed budget

The City’s annual budget process is underway. City budget strategists are soliciting input from residents and employees to help formulate a proposed balanced budget for the City’s 2009 Fiscal Year (FY) that will be presented to City Council and to the community on August 14.

Once again the City is requesting input from the community and its employees through the new Budget Input Box program. This is a forum for interested individuals to offer suggestions on how the City can increase efficiencies, generate new revenues, or make effective changes to service delivery. Individuals can submit their suggestion by visiting the City’s website at www.sanantonio.gov and clicking on the Budget Input Box logo. They may also visit City libraries and Community Link Centers to fill out a paper suggestion form. Ideas for consideration for the FY 2009 Budget development process should be submitted by July 14.

City employees will also participate in employee focus groups, which include frontline employees selected from four departments, are being asked to identify process improvements that could increase efficiencies, generate new revenue or improve the delivery of services to citizens.

The City’s FY 2009-2013 Financial Forecast was presented to City Council on April 30. The five-year forecast provides City Council with an early indication of the City’s financial condition for the upcoming year and beyond and begins to highlight policy issues that may be included in the 2009 proposed budget. It is a component of the City Council’s goal-setting process for next year’s budget. The Five Year Financial Forecast can be found on the City’s Budget Department Web Site.
City Council meetings in July will be postponed to allow staff time to review budget recommendations and service delivery plans and begin to formulate the budget proposal for 2009.

After the proposed budget is presented, community budget hearings will be held in each Council district from August 18 to August 29. The hearings invite residents to learn more about the City budget process and offer ideas for improving the budget proposal before it is adopted by City Council on September 11.

On September 3, ideas from the districts’ hearings will be summarized with the City Council before a public hearing is held to receive additional public input on the proposed budget. Two other public hearings are scheduled for August 26 and September 4 to consider the proposed property tax rate for 2009.

For more details on the FY 2009 Budget schedule, visit the City’s website at www.sanantonio.gov/budget and go to the FY 2009 Budget Information link.  The City’s 2009 Fiscal Year begins October 1, 2008 and ends September 30, 2009.

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