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Committee advances pilot for zero-based budgeting after public presentation
Summary
Public commenter John Kennedy presented an overview of zero-based budgeting. The committee voted 6-0 to direct staff to recommend one department for a pilot and to include a consultant-cost estimate when advancing the item to City Council.
John Kennedy, a resident and commenter, gave a public presentation on zero-based budgeting (ZBB) during the committee’s public-comment period and described key elements of the approach before the committee voted to forward a pilot proposal to the City Council.
Kennedy, who said he has experience implementing zero-based budgeting systems, explained the method’s objectives: ‘‘First off, the key thing is you’re aligning resources with deliverables,’’ he told the committee. He described the process as identifying a department’s core deliverables, quantifying the staff, capital and other inputs required for a minimal service level, and then layering additional ‘‘nice-to-have’’ levels with associated resource needs so policymakers can prioritize.
Committee members and staff discussed where to pilot the exercise. Several members suggested Public Works or Parks & Recreation because those departments contain multiple cost centers, vehicle fleets, contracts and often sizeable personnel budgets. Staff noted that much of public-works operating expense is personnel-driven and that a pilot in a large, complex department could be resource-intensive; members asked staff to include consultant-fee estimates in any recommendation. Committee members also emphasized that any pilot should include frontline employees and union input and that attrition could be used where possible to implement changes.
The committee made a formal motion directing staff to investigate the pilot, identify a recommended department for a ZBB pilot (including a brief comparison of candidate departments), and provide a preliminary cost estimate for consultant support. The motion passed on a roll call vote, 6-0: Council Member Kelly (Aye), Committee Member McMillan (Aye), Council Member Wynne (Aye), Council Member Neussmann (Aye), Chair Ryches (Aye), Council Member Burns (Aye).
Staff said they will return to the committee and City Council with a recommendation on which department to pilot, an estimate of consultant costs, and a proposed timeline that would allow a pilot to inform upcoming budget cycles.
Ending: The committee’s unanimous vote moved the proposal to the City Council and instructed staff to return with a department recommendation plus consultant-fee estimates and a proposed timeline for a pilot project.
