Biennial Budget GTW

Only City Council members and authorized staff are allowed to post on this message board.
Jimmy Flannigan
Posts: 85
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:44 am

Biennial Budget GTW

Post by Jimmy Flannigan »

I am excited that we are discussing biennial budgeting at our Government That Works discussion during this Tuesday's Council Work Session. In addition to some of the very good points in the Biennial Budgeting Background document that was shared by staff (http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 105832.pdf), I wanted to share some additional benefits I believe warrant consideration toward the City of Austin adopting a biennial budgeting process:

• The Government that Works for All strategic outcome includes a focus on managing long-term costs, the sustainability of City government, and leveraging innovation to accomplish those goals. Biennial budgeting will allow for better long-term planning for future expenses and cost drivers.

• As the FY2018-19 budget was created using a strategic outcomes approach focusing on budgeting more holistically, through the lens of macro-level indicators, biennial budgeting is a great tool to pair with Austin Strategic Direction 2023.

• The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC), and National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting agree that the implementation of biennial budgeting can improve long-term and strategic planning, and can strengthen longitudinal program evaluation and policy development. Implementation of biennial budgeting can provide more stability for staff and community partners, more time for accurate metrics collection as a part of the strategic plan, and better alignment of departmental budgets with contractual obligations.

• Biennial budgeting could allow better alignment with other City decisions with multi-year budget impacts including, but not limited to:
o Utility rate cases
o Public safety contracts
o Social services contracts
o Leases on City office space
o Cultural arts contracts
o Capital Improvements and bond oversight

I look forward to continuing this conversation with you,

- Jimmy

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA):
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 110158.pdf

Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC): http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Fin ... eting.aspx

National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting:
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 110634.pdf

San Francisco Report on Biennial Budgeting:
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 110054.pdf
Jimmy Flannigan
Council Member, District 6