What is the Budget Timetable?

Among nine new items on the agenda for Thursday's City Council meeting, three relate to the budget process.

One resolution is for a budget consultant, Government Strategy Group of New Providence, to assist the City Council at a cost not to exceed $7,500. Another is for introduction of the 2014 budget, a step that puts the administration's budget in the governing body's hands for review and amendment before a public hearing and final passage.


From the City Charter:
The council may increase, decrease, or eliminate any item in the executive budget for current operating expenses, except that it may not increase any item unless, upon separate motion as to each increase, 2/3 of the members of the council shall vote in favor thereof.

However, as noted in a previous post, there is also a resolution for budget appropriations that would supersede the one passed on Jan. 6 and provide for six months of city operations.

The question that may come to the minds of those who have observed the budget process in the past is whether the administration expects the budget process to go on until June, and if so, will a council review affect only the last six months of 2014?

The council in recent years has selected citizens to serve on a budget review committee, which takes part when the council calls on department and division heads to explain their budget requests and how they support goals for 2014. The committee also makes recommendations in a report to the council. I do not recall any names being confirmed so far to serve this year.

Now, I am at an age where some things escape me. I was trying to remember the four cardinal virtues earlier and at first only "fortitude" came to mind. Eventually I could recall all four: justice, temperance, prudence and fortitude. I also drew a blank yesterday on the name of the man who owned Archie's Resale Shop, a very quirky antique shop in Meyersville. From the murky depths the name of Archie Stiles floated up eventually. My point is, maybe I am missing something here in how all the cogs of the budget process will engage. I hope the council meeting Thursday will be enlightening

Last year, the budget was not passed until mid-June and the city required an emergency appropriation to operate the city in July. The 2011 change to a calendar year was supposed to aid in early budget passage, but it has been an elusive goal.

--Bernice