Finance staff preview 2026 budget calendar and new digital budget tools; committee asks for ongoing updates and outreach

Christine, a Finance Department presenter, briefed the committee on the 2026 budget calendar and the resources available on the city website, including the 2025 operating and capital budget materials and a new five-year operating-plan outlook included in the 2025 book.

Staff outlined the capital and operating timelines: capital kickoff with agencies on March 18, requests published by May 5, capital introduced to Council on September 2; operating requests open June 16, adopted request published by August 4, and the operating budget introduced on October 7 with subsequent Finance Committee briefings and amendments.

Christine said the department is procuring a digital budget-book platform that will present the budget as a navigable web-based resource with interactive charts and printable PDFs. "There will be options to print out to PDF...the web version will be the default," she said.

Alder Evers asked for regular updates on potential federal funding changes and other macro risks; staff said they plan to brief the Finance Committee after major milestones, roughly every other meeting, and to post materials online. Alder Rummel suggested continued public engagement, noting that outreach during the prior year increased public familiarity with the budget; Christine said staff plan a mix of hybrid and webinar events in the fall and will work with council leadership after the April election to schedule briefings.

The presentation was informational; no formal committee vote was required on the calendar itself. The committee concluded the item and later moved to adjourn.