HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/18/2023 Item 6b, Powell
Hailey Powell <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Regarding the Strategic Budget Direction Report
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Dear City Council,
I hope everyone is having a good week thus far. In anticipation of next week’s City Council meeting
(4/18), I have read sections of the Strategic Budget Direction Report and have an inquiry regarding Section A:
Major City Goals (MCGs). While the four Major City Goals and their strategic approaches seem fairly
comprehensive and well thought out, I have questions regarding how these strategic approaches are
measured, operationalized, or what metrics are used to assess the actual change occurring from these budget
allocations.
Including metrics and measurements for each of the strategic approaches can help stakeholders,
community members, and local government understand and confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of these
new and preexisting programs. Incorporating metrics into the Strategic Budget Direction Report will increase
transparency, which in return results in increased trust between citizens and local government, accountability
for public officials, improved community engagement, and better public services, as it allows citizens to identify
areas where resources are most needed. The very first line of the document (looking past the table of
contents) states, “The fundamental purpose of the City’s budget process is to link, through public
engagement and strategic deliberation, the interest of the community to the available financial resources to
achieve the desired outcome” (2). To properly engage, it would be useful to see what metrics are being used to
measure the strategic approaches that justify changes in the budget. Thank you for your consideration and I
look forward to hearing from Council.
Sincerely,
Hailey Powell
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