Public Invited to Share Input on Next City Budget
CONTACT:
Jennifer Larson, Budget Director
563-589-4110, jlarson@cityofdubuque.org
Nov. 7, 2018 -- For Immediate Release
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Dubuque residents and stakeholders are invited to share their input on the next City budget as City of Dubuque staff prepare the City’s budget for fiscal year (FY) 2020, which runs July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020.
The public is invited to attend a public input meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the City Council Chambers at the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. Sixth St. City staff will provide general information on the budget process at this meeting and then meeting attendees will be asked to share their thoughts on what they would like to see funded in their neighborhoods and the community at-large.
Those unable to attend the meeting are invited to provide input on the budget by submitting comments in the “Balancing Act” simulation tool available at
www.cityofdubuque.org/budget.
Input will be reviewed by staff and will assist in the development of a recommended FY 2020 budget to be submitted to the City Council in February 2019. The City Council will then consider the recommended budget and the public will have additional opportunities to offer input during seven public meetings in February and early March. A final budget must be adopted by March 15. The City’s operating budget (day-to-day costs of providing city services) is around $131 million and the capital budget, which includes major projects and improvements, is approximately $44 million.
Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to explore two online tools, available at
www.cityofdubuque.org/budget, that provide an opportunity to visually interact with the City’s budget:
- The “Open Budget” tool provides unprecedented access to City budget information and is designed to help make sense of the dollars and cents of city government budgeting.
- The new “Balancing Act” simulation tool allows users to learn how property tax is budgeted and tax revenues are spent and illustrates how the City’s FY2020 budget will be developed. The simulator challenges residents and stakeholders to actively balance their own version of the City’s budget, subject to the same constraints City Council members face annually when considering the City’s recommended operating and capital budgets. In addition, residents and stakeholders can provide comments in the simulator.
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