Zero can be a positive

Okie dokie now.  Where do we stand today?

Figures are starting to get hashed out a bit.  Plans are being drawn up, if still in the preliminary stages at least the conceptual plans are being put to paper.

Another month or two of actual expenditures on some of the fixed costs items, and certain revenue generators will help determine what can and cannot be done.  

Several wild cards still exist (three union contracts remain unsettled; recycling and trash contracts still outstanding).  One wild card disappeared essentially.  State aid.  Can't get any worse, and any "increase" in the final figure isn't going to be significant.

Said with the necessary grain of salt, trends during budget season can shift significantly.  One mistake here, one added burden mandate by the state or feds, one emergency, just a few things that can shift the direction a line runs.

One trend we need to get a firm grasp on, and one we seem to have so much difficulty with, is not using one time money for operations.  Again, there are times and circumstances where this is unavoidable, or necessary or even advisable, but it cannot be a forever process.

We need to stop burying our heads in the sand about "dedicated" revenue.  Any source/stream of revenue for any operation that is not self sufficient should be looked at to the fullest extent possible.  such money should not be looked at as a means of providing extras or expansion in any form.

We need to get a firm grasp on exactly what we are doing now, how we are doing and what can be done to streamline the process. I am becoming more and more a fan of the zero based budget concept.  Perhaps not in its strictest sense, i.e. requiring each and every department. Perhaps a 1 + 2 (or three) concept.

One of the big four each year, with 2 or 3 of the lesser budgets.  Most of the truly "small" budgets can be done every seasons

In a nutshell, what a zero based budget does is require a program, department, division. etc. to justify its existence and cost, as opposed to essentially what exists now, i.e. this is what was spent last year and starting from there.

The biggest benefit behind a zero based budget concept is essentially to shake up a process that has grown stale and is counter productive over time.

Why the 1 + 2 concept?  Why not every budget every year?

First the oversight factor.  People have to be dedicated to the process.  They have to be willing to assess each and every item in their budget.  There has to be some real oversight by a arms length third party. Accepting the "review" of a zero based budget complied by those to be affected by the process is akin to letting the fox guard the hen house.

You might say we do that now.  Not even close.  Attempts are made to go through every line item in every category of every budget.  Note attempt, because the reality is it it nearly impossible.  You try to look for "red flags".

In addition to the "willingness" oversight of that particular process has to be accompanied by authority to compel it to be done. We simply do not have the structure to do that, well we do, but the layers of structure are such its like trying to pull teeth with a pair of tweezers.

Even with the authority, we simply don't have the staff or capacity for an every year concept, nor is it really necessary.  Additionally, once started and implemented, it really is not necessary on an every year basis.

Many of our government functions are what I would say are "core functions".  You need the same at some level.  To keep from falling in the rut and pitfall of "that's the way we have always done it" you should reassess periodically yes.

To insure the process doesn't generate a monster all by itself, the frequency could be as short as three years or as long as say seven, maybe eight years. Changes in law, mandates, new operation proposals are some of the things that might accelerate the timetable for a particular operation toward the sooner end of the period. Lack thereof may be some factors to use in pushing out the process to the far end of the period.

I could go on and on, and probably should.  Unfortunately I have things to do this morning so...

Be safe ...