Concurrent with the BRC II analysis and implementing its recommendations, the city adopted a Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) process to identify core city services and the community goals for its municipal government. PBB is an evolution of the Boulder Business Plan and continues the city’s focus on financial sustainability by addressing critical deficiencies and allocating funds to programs and services that achieve the greatest results.
“Although Boulder is in a better financial condition than many of its peer cities, the economic outlook continues to be uncertain,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “In response, we’re taking a prudent and strategic approach to the 2011 recommended budget by focusing on achieving greater efficiencies in how services are delivered to the Boulder community. In many cases we have been able to reallocate staff and funding to those areas most likely to achieve community goals, and are reducing duplication of services to hold the line on spending at 2010 levels.”
Boulder City Council is set to consider a proposed 2011 budget that holds expenditures at 2010 levels. The $230 million city manager recommended budget projects nearly flat revenues and only a 0.05 percent change in city spending.
Council is scheduled to begin studying the city manager’s 2011 recommended budget at its Tuesday, Aug. 24, study session. The study session will be aired live on Channel 8.
According to the city manager, the city is proposing to restructure several programs and to reduce expenses based on a year-long analysis of programs and services, recommendations of citizen advisory boards, and direction from City Council. The combination of budget reductions and the reorganization will result in a net decrease of 19.74 full-time equivalent positions for 2011.
“Although Boulder is in a better financial condition than many of its peer cities, the economic outlook continues to be uncertain,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “In response, we’re taking a prudent and strategic approach to the 2011 recommended budget by focusing on achieving greater efficiencies in how services are delivered to the Boulder community. In many cases we have been able to reallocate staff and funding to those areas most likely to achieve community goals, and are reducing duplication of services to hold the line on spending at 2010 levels.”
Brautigam said that financial projections suggest that the national and local economy will realize a slow recovery over the next few years. Boulder’s revenues are projected to increase 0.27 percent over 2010 revenues. She said steps taken by the city over the past few years to close the structural funding gap and its efforts to maximize efficiencies have maintained Boulder’s fiscal position during the recession.
The city plans to continue eliminating service duplications, centralizing administrative functions and scrutinizing vacancies to ensure staffing resources reflect the needs and finances of the city. The 2011 recommended budget continues funding for critical services such as police, fire and human services.
Other significant aspects of the 2011 Recommended Budget include:
Commissioning a Clean Energy Study to evaluate options to achieve Boulder’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. The city’s Clean Energy Team will analyze a range of clean energy technologies and potential investments to determine the best path forward for an energy supply that maximizes renewables while remaining affordable and reliable.
Reallocating code enforcement resources in order to centralize noise and nuisance party enforcement to the Boulder Police Department (BPD), eliminating a vacant staff position and improving continuity of service to the community. This proposal formalizes the arrangement in place since April 2010.
Centralizing the city’s licensing functions under the Finance department to provide one-stop-shopping, employee cross training, and more efficient operations. The licensing of medical marijuana establishments also will be addressed through the organizational restructure.
Continuing the city’s commitment to the Flexible Rebate program, which helps to attract and retain primary employers in Boulder, strengthen the city’s fiscal health, and further Boulder’s leadership in industries such as clean technology, natural and organic foods, digital media and active living. Since its inception in 2007, the money invested in this program has generated over 8.5 times that amount in local economic activity, providing a strong return on investment.
Beginning in 2011, the Police Department will directly provide animal control services to the community, replacing the contracted services currently provided by the Boulder Valley Humane Society.
Allocating one-time funding sources and fund balance dollars to the Capital Improvement Program to maintain and repair city infrastructure as directed by the city’s revised CIP Guiding Principles. Pay-as-you-go financing is a common strategy in capital intensive funds such as the Water Utility funds, the Transportation Fund and the Permanent Parks and Recreation Fund.
The development of the 2011 Recommended Budget focused on ensuring that the City of Boulder has sufficient funds available to maintain basic government services while closing the revenue/expenditure gap identified by Blue Ribbon Commission I and implementing many of the efficiencies recommended by Blue Ribbon Commission Phase II (BRC II). Concurrent with the BRC II analysis and implementing its recommendations, the city adopted a Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) process to identify core city services and the community goals for its municipal government. PBB is an evolution of the Boulder Business Plan and continues the city’s focus on financial sustainability by addressing critical deficiencies and allocating funds to programs and services that achieve the greatest results.
2011 continues to present some uncertainties for Boulder that may require additional budget reductions. On Nov. 2, voters will decide whether to support several statewide ballot initiatives that could have a significant impact on municipal budgets across the state, including the City of Boulder budget. In addition, City Council will ask Boulder voters to support a $4.1 million utility occupation tax on Xcel Energy to replace the expired franchise fee.
If the utility occupation tax measure fails or if any of the statewide ballot initiatives pass, the city will have to reduce the 2011 budget by at least $4.1 million. As a result, the city’s finance team is working on a contingency budget that will be discussed at the Sept. 28 City Council study session. The meeting will be televised on Channel 8.
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