On November 1 of each year, the manager submits his recommended budget for the following year to the Commission and the public. That leaves just a little over a month for important decisions regarding the allocation of tax dollars to be made, for the budget is voted on at the first meeting in December.
The budget process begins in summer, when department heads present the levels of service they would like to have funded (along with, in some cases, the revenue their departments will generate) to the municipal finance department.
Finance Director Andrew McCreery meets with each department head, revises some things and forwards the budget to the Manager Steve Feller for ranking. Feller evaluates each of the hundreds of requested service levels and ranks them in order of importance. He then draws a line where he projects the budget will be balanced.
The Commission reviews the proposed budget with the manager and department heads. Commissioners may recommend that some items be moved above or below the cutoff line. Public input may play into the Commission’s decisions.
After November 1, you may view The Manager’s Recommended Budget online [1]. If you would like to comment on it publicly, please plan to attend the budget hearing Tuesday November 11, during the Commission meeting in the municipal building, 710 Washington Road.