Budget Process
The City Manager coordinates the development and presentation of a balanced budget with the Finance Director. The budget is developed in accordance with the priorities and goals of the City Council and serves as the primary operating document for the utilization of resources to achieve city goals and provide services. The budget is adopted annually by City Council, in compliance with the Optional Charter and Third-Class City code. The adopted budget serves as a forecast of revenues it will receive and expenditures it will incur during the year. Guided by the policies, priorities, and goals of Council (including strategic plans, capital improvement plan, financial policies and source documents), the budget is the single most important policy document produced by the City each year. The budget is both a spending plan for the City's financial resources and the legal authority for City departments to spend the resources for public purposes. Through these resources, services are provided to meet the needs of the community.
Work on the annual budget begins with staff’s review of capital and infrastructure needs, development of a financial forecast and scheduling of meetings with Department Heads to determine individual departmental budgets. Staff summarizes findings into reports, which are reviewed by Council and considered in accordance with financial policies and other critical documents. Such documents are included within the budget for reference. Feedback from each step, including the budget workshops to review the draft budget, is incorporated into the final budget document.
