Consultant previews 0‑based budgeting review of Public Works; decision packages due in December

The City Council received a status update from Raftelis consultant Jonathan Ingram on Oct. 27 on the city’s public‑works 0‑based budgeting project. The firm described the scope, methodology and near‑term schedule for decision packages intended to inform 2026 budget choices.

Ingram said the team has completed an initial assessment, conducted roughly 30 interviews with 40 staff, union representatives and some council members, and developed a program‑level service inventory. "We've largely completed our initial assessment of operations," he told the council, and "two of them, I'd say we're about 75% to the point of presenting you all with decision packages."

He explained the 0‑based budgeting principle the team is using: instead of starting from prior budgets and adjusting, review and justify each program and service level from the ground up, categorizing programs as "core/base," "target," or "value‑added/best practice." The approach produces discrete decision packages that translate service levels into budget and staffing implications to help the council choose tradeoffs.

The next steps listed were to finalize program resource allocations with department staff, finish decision‑package vetting and deliver draft recommendations at the end of the year with final reports and decision support in December–January.

Why it matters: A 0‑based approach could identify targeted staffing, service and technology changes that reduce costs or reallocate resources. The council asked for more granular decision support so it can assess tradeoffs to address the city's budget challenges.

Who spoke: Jonathan Ingram (Raftelis); council members asked clarifying questions about comparative assessments and program categorization.