City of Boulder Cites Priority Based Budgeting as Key to their Financial Stability According to State of the City Address

City of Boulder is Stable According to State of the City Address

The State of the City address, given by Boulder mayor Susan Osborne and City Manager Jane Brautigam, indicates that Boulder is relatively stable, though the economy is clearly everyone’s number one concern.

The city has taken steps to be more fiscally conscious, including using a new priority-based budget system. "Our Priority Based Budgeting system will help identify the most essential services as we continue to engage the community in articulating our shared values."

Christiansburg Virginia's Priority Based Budgeting Initiative Focus of 2011 Keating Report on Government Budgets and Spending

2011 Keating Report on Government Budgets and Spending Forecast - GovPro article

Local governments are contracting with not-for-profit groups like the Denver-based Center for Priority Based Budgeting to help with the budget process. Christianburg, Va., (2009 population, 19,638) recently approved an agreement to use the center's services starting with fiscal year 2011-12.

"We have to find a new way to do our budget. The way we've been doing it is not going to work," said Christianburg's finance director, Val Tweedie when the deal was announced. Contracting with the company would allow for a "healthier" budget process, Tweedie said.

The Center for Priority Based Budgeting consults with governing bodies to assess departments, goals and needs in relation to spending, while helping establish a budget process that works best for the municipality. The firm uses a detailed scoring system for each department and prioritizes activities based on performance and need when considering the budget.

City of Walnut Creek Showcased for Citizen Engagement in Priority Based Budgeting at Institute for Local Government Conference (MMANC 2010)

Best Practices in Participatory Budgeting


This session at the Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC) Annual Conference in October 2010 featured innovative city efforts to engage the public in local budgeting. Moderated by Terry Amsler, Institute for Local Government, Walnut Creek Assistant City Manager Lorie Tinfow was a featured speaker on Priority Based Budgeting and the City's extraordinary efforts in citizen engagement.



Best Practices in Budgeting Session at 2010 MMANC Annual Conference from Institute for Local Government on Vimeo.