Community Budget Workshops Scheduled
Pull out your calendars, and pencil in one of the following dates. The City of Tacoma has scheduled 10 different community budget workshops around the city throughout the rest of June and July. Workshop attendees will have an opportunity to learn how Tacoma’s budget process works and provide public input on the city’s spending priorities as it addresses a looming budget gap of $60 to $65 million in the next biennium cycle.
Community Budget Workshops
Monday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Main Library, 1102 Tacoma Avenue South
Wednesday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m., at the Wheelock Library
Thursday, June 28 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Monday, July 9 at 6:00 p.m. at Henry Schatz Boys & Girls Club
Wednesday, July 11 at 6:00 p.m. at the Moore Library
Thursday, July 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Center at Norpoint
Monday, July 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Snake Lake Nature Center
Wednesday, July 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Stadium High School
Thursday, July 19 at 6:00 p.m. at Lincoln High School
Monday, July 23 at 6:00 p.m. at Baker Middle School
This is all part of the City Manager’s new budgeting process for the 2013-2014 biennium. Each workshop will be hosted by a City Council member, and will feature a presentation by City Manager T.C. Broadnax, with information on the budget, as well as an opportunity for you to give input on your priorities. Input from the public, along with input from City Council will inform staff as they set Tacoma’s priorities for its diminished budget, and where cuts will be made. It will also be a unique opportunity to learn a little more about where your tax dollars go, and see the kinds of tough budgeting decisions City Council and staff face.
Previously from Exit133: New Budget Process Will Seek Public Involvement.
Filed under: budget, Get-Involved
3 comments
F fredo June 12, 2012
At the risk of sounding cynical, I doubt if the public testimony generated at the workshops is going to affect any of the city “priorities.”
What ARE the city priorities, you may ask?
Oh, that’s whatever the council wants to spend money on. The workshops are just political theater. The results of the workshops will be distilled into a brief powerpoint presentation supporting the status quo, then promptly roundfiled.
Perhaps the council members will sieze little tidbits of information (when it suits their purpose) and then proclaim “LOOK THE CITIZENS HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS AS A PRIORITY.” This way they cover their ass if it goes bad. They can say “BOY, THOSE WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS WERE SURE WRONG ABOUT THAT!”
J Jenny Jenkins June 12, 2012
Does anyone know if you can go to any of these, even if you can’t make the ones in your own district?
R Rob McNair-Huff June 13, 2012
Jenny, you can attend any of the Community Budget Input Meetings, regardless of whether a particular meeting is in your Council District or not.