City Council Meeting Date: April 10, 2018
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Brenda Angelstad, Finance Director
Title
Review and Discussion on Proposed Budget Timeline
Body
Action Requested:
Discussion only.
Summary Report:
Finance Director Angelstad and City Administrator Martig have developed the attached proposed 2019-2020 budget planning calendar. The proposed 2019-2020 budget has two primary goals for this upcoming year. First, we are attempting to complete internal budget estimating for existing personnel impacts and existing/committed debt service schedules early in the budget process. Second, we are attempting to concentrate our budget discussions to specific meeting nights that would be only budget related topics.
We believe completing the personnel and debt service under this schedule will allow staff and council to have more meaningful discussions on budget alternatives by having some of our more major fixed expenses clear early in our discussions. The staff internal completion is moved up approximately three months (from August to May) and the Council presentation moves up one month from August 15th in 2017 to July 10th in 2018.
We believe reducing the number of meetings and dedicating those meetings entirely to budget will allow staff to better prepare presentation background so that time at the meeting can be entirely focused on budget discussions with council. The new schedule is basically a 10-step meeting process with key dates.
There are significant details on the budget we will be further discussing but wanted to first share the overall meeting schedule then build in more detail after. We welcome any related questions, comments or concerns related to our review of the budget calendar and process that the Council may have.
Alternative Options:
Staff welcomes suggested amendments or clarifications in the schedule.
The calendar will create some "gaps" in the regular council meeting agendas where there wi...
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