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Sahuarita begins priority‑based budgeting rollout with program inventory and timeline for 2027 budget
Summary
Town staff and Tyler Technologies presented the priority‑based budgeting (PBB) implementation plan Sept. 8. The effort will convert existing FY26 line‑item data into program costs, score programs against the strategic plan, and produce insight reports to identify potential savings or revenue measures ahead of the FY27 budget.
Sahuarita staff and consultants from Tyler Technologies outlined the town’s priority‑based budgeting (PBB) implementation at the Sept. 8 meeting, describing the multi‑phase approach that will recast the town’s FY26 budget by program, score each program against strategic priorities and program attributes, and produce insight reports to inform the FY27 budget process.
Finance staff said the town elected to use the current fiscal‑year (FY26) adopted budget as the implementation dataset so departments can work through program inventories and allocations before FY27 budget development begins. Tyler Technologies presenters explained PBB as three core steps: (1) build a program inventory (an “elevator‑pitch” description of services), (2) allocate budget line items and personnel time to those programs to produce a net cost per program, and (3) score programs against the strategic plan and five basic program attributes (mandate, reliance, population served, cost‑recovery, demand).
Tyler’s Jesse Muniz said the vendor will apply machine‑learning and comparable‑client data to suggest starting program lists and cost allocations to speed implementation and reduce manual workload. Ian McLean (Tyler) set a near‑term schedule: program inventory completed in September (123 operating programs and 31 capital projects identified so far), cost allocations to complete in late September, and program scoring targeted in October. The team plans to produce “insight reports” after scoring to identify potential efficiency or revenue opportunities.
Town Manager Shane Dilley and Finance/AC Mariotti emphasized the project could be implemented faster than originally planned and that the PBB data will also inform a November council strategic‑plan retreat. Dilley said the council should expect better data to support budget decisions in the FY27 cycle and that the program inventory is expected to carry forward year‑to‑year rather than be re-created from scratch.
Why it matters: PBB will change how the town presents and evaluates budget requests—shifting from line‑item accounting to program-level cost, performance and alignment with strategic goals—allowing councilmembers to see which programs most closely support the town’s priorities and to identify reallocations, efficiency opportunities or revenue instruments.
No vote was taken; the session was a project-status presentation and planning update.
