Long Term Budgeting: Innovation Based Budget Initiatives

(8/22/2010) Over the next four years while the economy stabilizes the City needs to work to weather the storm: to examine what it does; to reinvent the way it does business. Using a Results Based Accounting method the City will need to achieve 1.7% in savings or revenue enhancements in FY11.

Goals: Examine all aspects of government to identify savings and efficiencies. Work to enhance revenue potential. Reorganize and reinvigorate government to embrace new ideas, maximize productivity, eliminate duplicity and ensure results.

Process: A working group of all Departmental Managers has been established to develop ideas to cut costs, increase revenue, maximize productivity and facilitate collaboration. Ideas will be solicited from Managers, Staff, Unions, Aldermen, and the Public. Each department will undergo a review process to establish performance benchmarks, diagram workflow, identify potential revenue streams, cultivate partnerships, and examine ways to increase productivity, improve service delivery and cut costs.

Idea Generation: The Manager’s Meeting will be used to solicit and encourage ideas from Managers. Departmental reviews will be used to solicit and encourage ideas from staff. Budget workshops will be used to solicit ideas from Aldermen and Mayor’s Night Out and Mayor’s Night in will be used to solicit ideas from the public. Ideas will also be collected via the City’s website.

Idea Evaluation:

FY 2010 – 2011 Focus: The current budget assigns a goal of $8M in savings and revenue enhancements to the Innovative Based Budget Process. Every idea will be reviewed, but not all ideas may be implemented. The Innovation budget adds the position of Revenue & Innovation Project Coordinator to the budget. This will be absolutely critical to manage the process. The position will also oversee the existing and new Management & Policy Analysts. The ideas that will be the initial focus for the FY 10/11 year include the following:

Over the next four years while the economy stabilizes the City needs to work to weather the storm: to examine what it does; to reinvent the way it does business.

Goals: Examine all aspects of government to identify savings and efficiencies. Work to enhance revenue potential. Reorganize and reinvigorate government to embrace new ideas, maximize productivity, eliminate duplicity and ensure results.