About BACs
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.