Overview

Bureau budget advisory committees (BAC) are continuous working bodies that foster and utilize a high level of understanding about a given bureau’s programs and services and then actively discuss and advise bureau budget decisions.  Given this critical and intensive interface between policy-makers and the public, participation by community members in bureau budget advisory committees is one of the most effective venues for residents to provide input throughout the budget process.

Goals

• To increase community involvement in the management of the City's resources;
• To gain an understanding of City bureaus and the relationship between those bureaus and the needs of the individuals who access the services of city bureaus;
• To provide recommendations to bureaus regarding goals, priorities, policies and budgets.

Roles

To recommend policy direction for bureaus and the City Council by:

• Identifying and discussing bureau policies, as well as citywide issues;
• Identifying and discussing activities and projects in which the bureau is involved;
• Reviewing current service levels and determining if they should be continued or changed, including the allocation of limited resources and program cuts.

To contribute to the presentation of a budget that is responsive to community needs by:

• Identifying the bureau's objectives and prioritizing budget items that need funding;
• Obtaining input from residents about budget and policy items through review of community surveys and meetings;
• Establishing and representing the community's priorities for the bureau;
• Reviewing the current budget to determine if expenses and income levels are over or under the budgeted amounts.

To increase community access to the bureau budget process by:

• Increasing community member participation in the management of city resources;
• Providing an opportunity to link residents to elected officials and their staffs.