Duane Hicks
It’s not even fall yet but the town already is looking ahead to 2010—with council slated to hold its first public meeting to garner input on next year’s municipal budget on Monday, Sept. 14.
Council approved a report from treasurer Laurie Witherspoon at Monday night’s regular meeting, which outlined a budget timetable that aims to see the 2010 budget passed by April 26.
“Early preparation and planning are critical components of an effective budget process,” Witherspoon wrote in her report, noting the 2010 budget timetable is based on timelines and experiences of previous years.
“The budget timetable provides a logical process and ensures that all information is available when required,” she added.
Mayor Roy Avis encouraged the public to attend this meeting, which will be a part of the regular council meeting that evening.
“I think it’s a big day for the citizens of the community on Sept. 14,” the mayor said. “That’s our public meeting date for the budget, and I just wanted to put forward that if anybody has any concern or questions, or wants to put forward anything they would like to see happen in 2010, that is the time and the opportunity to come forward and do so.
“If you thought of something this summer you’d like to see happen next year, please bring it forward,” he urged.
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft noted that often throughout the year, members of the public bring ideas up at executive committee meetings.
Members of council then tell them to bring those ideas back at the public budget meeting, but very few people show up.
“This is the opportunity to present your ideas and get them listed in the budget,” Coun. Wiedenhoeft stressed.
Coun. Ken Perry said he gave considerable weight to the presentation made at last year’s public budget meeting—and would so again this year.
“If anybody comes forward with a request, and we deem it to be viable and necessary and plausible, I will give it great weight that they were at the meeting we advertised and told them to come forward [at],” he remarked.
According to the budget timetable, the four executive committees will take the information received from the Sept. 14 meeting and review it during the week of Oct. 5-9.
These same committees then will review the various division budgets during the week of Nov. 16-20.
Information then will be handed over to Witherspoon by Nov. 27, who, in turn, will consolidate the data into a draft operational and capital forecast.
This draft, and other budget information, then will be reviewed repeatedly by town administration and the committee of the whole throughout December, January, February, and early March before being brought up for ratification by council on March 22.
Over these months, the committee of the whole will meet every alternate week to regular council meetings to review the budget.
A second public meeting then will be held Monday, April 12, with the budget anticipated to be ready for a final vote April 26.
