This week, other than stormwater and some capital facilities stuff (which is very important, mind you) it is all about the budget. As always this is the "What's on the city council's plate this week" review.

Budget is so important, pretty much the big thing the council does all year. So here is the lineup:

The actual budget document will be available and presented Monday, October 30. The budget will be available on the City’s website www.ci.olympia.wa.us by Wednesday afternoon November 1st. The schedule for budget review is:

Monday, November 6 Study Session
Tuesday, November 14 Public Hearing
Tuesday, November 21 Study Session
Tuesday, November 28 Study Session, Final Budget Balancing
Monday, December 4 Adoption (First Reading)

Following presentation of the budget, the document will be available for review in the City Clerk’s office.

Also there is a Staff Open House on the Budget scheduled for November 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Senior staff members will be available at that time to answers budget related questions from the public.

ANALYSIS AND OPTIONS:

The 2007 budget is up 7.3% over the 2006 budget. The preliminary budget was prepared based on guidance provided by the Council’s Constrained Prioritization process, and the principal and guidelines of the long term financial strategy (LTFS). The total budget has increased by $2.5 million. The budget does include utility rate increases in water, waste water, stormwater and solid waste drop box rates.

The LTFS requires us to set priorities, protect our reserves, recover costs, invest in our employees, maintain core services and always look for efficiencies in the way we do business. As we review the budget during the coming month, the LTFS and the Constrained Prioritization can guide us in these uncertain economic times.

Earlier this year, the Olympia City Council announced that it would begin a citizen's Ad Hoc Budget Committee, a group of citizens that from late 2006 to 2007 start a process of writing a budget (I think) from a citizens point of view. More here.