Budget Questions Sent to Administration

Below is the letter with questions submitted to the Administration.  We will post the answers as we get them.

Dear Ms. Taylor and Council Members:

Attached is a document that includes questions from members of the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) and from city residents who have utilized the CBAC blog to submit their questions.

The Committee felt that it was important for the entire Council to have an opportunity to review these questions.  They are representative of CBAC members’ concern over the development of an annual expense budget that, without significant action by the City Administration and the City Council, will become unsustainable in future years. Resident questions echo this concern.

The document is organized into divisional categories. Questions from CBAC members are generally in response to recent  budget hearings attended by members but they also stem from hours of discussion in committee, research into comparative practices in other communities, reviews of documents obtained through numerous OPRA requests, and regular attendance at City Council meetings and budget hearings.  Questions from city residents are not confined to the various divisions that have already made their budget presentations. Resident questions pertain to city  services, practices, and the process for making  funding decisions as part of the annual budget process. Where possible, residents’ questions have also been organized under categories.

The Committee will rely again on the City Administrator for her usual concise and accurate replies to these questions. CBAC members will submit additional questions following upcoming budget hearings.

Thank you.

Regards,

Susan Kilduff

Chair, FY11 CBAC

CBAC Questions - http://www.scribd.com/doc/41592054/Budget-Questions