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City Manager's Budget Advisory Committee members describe learning, urge residents to apply
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Summary
Members of the City Manager's Budget Advisory Committee said their work taught them how budgets affect people and departments, described efforts to improve public outreach and accountability, and invited interested residents to apply to join the committee.
Members of the City Manager's Budget Advisory Committee described their experiences serving on the panel and urged interested residents to apply to join.
Owen Shilt, a management analyst with the City of Laramie, opened a recorded city segment by introducing Gustav(e) Anderson and Troy Stence, who described their time on the advisory panel that assists the city manager with budget review and public outreach.
Troy Stence said he moved to Laramie in September 2023 and works for a tax accounting firm. He said joining the committee helped him see the human side of municipal finance. "I can't believe that I forget the human element to that. The fact that these numbers touch people, whether it's city staff, city departments, city residents," Stence said, describing how the work connects to city operations and people.
Gustav Anderson, who is identified in the recording as chair of the City Manager's Budget Advisory Committee, said the panel has focused on identifying useful performance metrics and explaining how city systems work so residents can make informed decisions. "Disagreement is good. Disagreement is the curiosity," Anderson said, urging a range of perspectives on the committee.
Both members said the committee is not solely about spreadsheets. They described meeting with department directors across the city to learn how money comes in and how services are delivered, and they emphasized outreach to help residents understand and engage with budgeting decisions.
Stence encouraged residents who may be hesitant because they lack formal finance experience to consider participating, saying the committee offers an opportunity to learn and to provide direct feedback to city staff. Anderson added that committee members can help translate complex budget issues for the public and suggested that diverse backgrounds strengthen the committee's work.
The segment closed with Shilt thanking the speakers and directing listeners to the city's intake form for people who want to join the committee; the transcript includes a URL that appears to contain a typographical error, so listeners should look for the City of Laramie website's committee or volunteer application pages for the correct intake form.
No votes, formal motions or ordinance proposals were recorded during this segment. The presentation served as an informational recruitment and outreach effort by the City Manager's Budget Advisory Committee.
