Director Wade walks Laramie council through budget terms, timeline and planned SPET outreach

Director Wade told the Laramie City Council the goal of the Civic Sense session was to demystify the budget process for council and the public by explaining basic terms, forecasting methods and the calendar staff follows to prepare the city manager's recommended budget.

Wade defined key terms: "Available reserves means cash and other assets that are liquid expected to be available within one year," and explained that personnel expenditures are budgeted on a zero‑based approach while operating costs are typically incremental and capital expenditures are treated as one‑time investments.

He described forecasting practice (using three‑to‑five‑year trends for most revenue categories, with departures for items like the direct distribution), the budget kickoff with department directors, and that the city manager typically issues a recommended budget around the end of April with council adoption usually occurring in the second week of June (timeline noted in the presentation). Wade said the general fund currently holds an unusual level of reserves because of prior one‑time sales/use tax collections and two years of direct distribution receipts staff did not fully allocate.

Wade proposed a joint Civic Sense SPET presentation with county commissioners and community partners to tell "the story of the city through the funds" (SPET history and what the tax pays for). He said staff will publish short voiceovers and a public folder so presentations are easy for council and the public to access.

Council members asked about scheduling and public‑engagement logistics; staff said the SPET presentation will be kept concise and that supplemental materials and voiceovers will be published online. No action was required at the session; work sessions and budget hearings will follow the normal calendar.