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Finance department launches 2026 budget public‑engagement survey; council urges broader outreach
Summary
The city’s finance department unveiled a QR‑code survey to gather resident input on capital priorities for the 2026 budget; council members recommended hard copies, bilingual versions and more aggressive distribution after staff reported roughly 100 responses in the first three days.
City finance officials on Tuesday presented a public‑engagement survey designed to gather resident priorities ahead of the 2026 budget and asked council to help broaden outreach.
Finance Director Bob Kinnick and Budget Manager Timothy Brooks said a short, five‑question survey — distributed via a website banner, social media and a QR code used at recent events — will run through the end of July and will be followed by additional survey rounds. Kinnick said more than 100 survey responses were recorded in the first three days after a social‑media push and festival outreach.
Brooks told council the survey results will be used to help prioritize department capital requests during the 2026 budget decision process. "This input will help us prioritize the capital requests we've received from each department," Brooks said.
Council members pressed staff on outreach methods. Councilman Jones and others asked whether the city’s government access channel (Channel 20) and the city’s YouTube feed were being used; Brooks said the presentations are airing live on Channel 20 and on YouTube and that the administration had already promoted the survey on social platforms. Council members recommended additional frontline distribution — hard copies delivered with trash‑bill mailings, placement at community events, magnets or QR codes on city vehicles, and targeted sharing with landlords and schools. Brooks said staff will accommodate hard‑copy requests and that a Hispanic (Spanish) version of the survey was already in development.
Councilwoman Ross suggested the city demonstrate how survey input is used in the budget — for example, highlighting which resident suggestions were incorporated when the proposed budget is later presented — to build trust and future participation. Brooks said the survey includes an open‑response box for suggestions and that staff will review ideas as they plan the next survey round.
The presentation came during the council’s communications segment; no formal council action was required. Finance staff asked residents to scan the posted QR code or visit the city’s website for the survey link and to contact the finance office for print copies if needed.
