Pete Peterson, Leading Expert and Champion for Citizen Engagement, Talks PBB and Politics

“One of the best things about Priority Based Budgeting is that it’s blind to politics.” We heard this from an elected official, during one of our first implementations of PBB, and we’ll never forget it. This person went on to say, “this process works for both sides of the spectrum, and reminds us to focus on the results that we’re all trying to achieve.”

When National League of Cities Past President, and 18-year elected official and Mayor, Kathie Novak, joined the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, she shared with us many of the same reflections. Priority Based Budgeting comes through as apolitical – it doesn’t favor any party. In fact, more importantly, it seems to provide a way for both sides of the aisle to be able to communicate even more clearly about the Results they so emphatically wish to achieve, and the way they go about achieving them.

Over the past few years, more and more elected officials have contacted us, from all political perspectives, sharing with us their resonance with the ideas and concepts that form the basis for Priority Based Budgeting. And just last week, we heard from one of the Country’s leading experts and champions for citizen engagement and transparency in government, Pete Peterson (who also happens to be running for Secretary of State for California) bring the merits of PBB into political perspective.

  

Talking about what his party “has the potential to be,” Peterson wrote:

“BE THE PARTY OF … PRIORITIZED GOVERNMENT


Here in California, cities like Fairfield, Monterey, and Walnut Creek have created Priority-Based Budgets with public input. Republicans need to get behind these efforts to engage the public on determining what the public sector should and shouldn’t undertake.”

Read the entire article here: “The Trust Issue: The Problem With Government Isn’t Its Size - Pete Peterson, a declared candidate for California Secretary of State, argues that conservatives, as defenders of institutions, are in a unique position to deal with our mistrust of government—if only they can shift their focus.

http://www.psmag.com/politics/california-republicans-the-trust-issue-problem-with-big-government-59524/)

Priority Based Budgeting creates an entirely new way to see clearly how our resources are being allocated to achieve results. PBB favors no party, but helps every party find the best way to prioritize spending. 

We are so pleased to have Pete Peterson keynote the 2013 CPBB Annual Conference as he presents "The Power of Legitimate Citizen Engagement" this year in Washington, D.C. We're grateful for the role Pete has played in our work.

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting and Citizen Engagement from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

County Infuses Priority Based Budgeting into Quarterly Communication of Finances to Board, Citizens

Douglas County, Nevada continued with its ideal implementation of Priority Based Budgeting, this time infusing PBB into their quarterly communication to elected officials and citizens.

“The goal of priority-based budgeting is to ensure investment of taxpayer resources in priorities established by the board and the public,” said County Manager, Steve Mokrohisky. “This process has included citizen engagement through the online budget challenge. The results created a catalyst to redirect funding to maintain road infrastructure in next year’s budget, and in other cost savings and efficiencies.”

 Outstanding work, Douglas County! We’re so pleased that you’ll be sharing your story at

the "Summit of Leading Practices" this July!

Read the entire article from the Record-Courier here (and copied below).

County issues first quarterly financial report

Douglas County Quarterly Report

www.douglascountynv.gov

Douglas County issued its first quarterly report Thursday which includes national, state and local economic indicators, strategic planning and priority-based budgeting updates.

County Manager Steve Mokrohisky said the report would be continually reviewed and updated to include information for policymakers, taxpayers and employees.

“Our current finances are positive and within budget expectations,” Mokrohisky said. “We continue to create long-term financial stability and focus on solutions to our challenges through strategic planning and priority-based budgeting. The new quarterly report bolsters our open and transparent reporting to the public and decision makers.”

Prepared by the county manager’s office and the finance department, the report covers activity for the quarter ended March 31.

“Economic indicators reflect a positive, but slow improvement in the national, state and local economies,” he said.

Mokrohisky said the report reflects the county’s commitment to leadership.

“We’re trying to see what others are doing, we learn from that. But, at the same time, we are trying to lead,” he said.

According to Mokrohisky, Douglas County is the first county in the nation to implement priority-based budgeting.

“The goal of priority-based budgeting is to ensure investment of taxpayer resources in priorities established by the board and the public,” he said. “This process has included citizen engagement through the online budget challenge. The results created a catalyst to redirect funding to maintain road infrastructure in next year’s budget, and in other cost savings and efficiencies.”

The report is available online at the Douglas County home page.

“We want the public to know about the information, and I really hope the public finds value in the report,” he said.

The report offers a detailed look at the general fund, room tax and road operating funds as well as actual revenues and expenses versus the budget in all county funds.

“I’m really happy you did this,” said Commissioner Barry Penzel. “It helps us flag something we might need to look into or understand a little better.”

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

 

 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

Priority Based Budgeting and The Power Inversion: Case Studies in the “Decade of Local Government”

David Brooks recent NY Times op-ed, "The Power Inversion" is a Must-Read article for anybody in local government!

Says Brooks, “Washington paralysis is already leading to a power inversion. As the federal government becomes less energetic, city governments become more so.”

ICMA Executive Director Bob O’Neill has been arguing this same point, as he described in "The Coming Decade of Local Government".

Says O’Neill, “the next decade will be a time in which the fiscal woes of federal and state governments will leave local and regional governments on their own, struggling to balance the need for innovation against the necessity of making tough choices… it will also be a decade in which local government will lead the way in developing creative solutions to extraordinary problems. There are a number of reasons to be optimistic about this coming decade of local government”

In our work at the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, we see this idea playing out in a major way, and it is bringing up a very interesting challenge. If the Federal Government is less effective in achieving the results that our citizens desire, does this mean that the pressure increases on local government to “do more with less?” Or, is the opportunity in front of local government to conduct a departure from the status quo, harnessing the power of local partnerships, reallocating resources to top priority programs (while divesting ourselves of lower priority investments), and permanently increasing our ability to improve the lives of our citizens?

We invite you to see examples of the Power Inversion at play:

Douglas County, Nevada has reallocated resources to increase transportation funding my millions of dollars – all local dollars at play!

City of Boulder, Colorado has focused resource reallocation opportunities to fund high-priority energy initiatives in the City. No Federal dollars here.

City of Fort Collins, Colorado has partnered in a start-up incubator project to launch small businesses and super-charge the local economy. 

In all of these organizations, the Power Inversion and Priority Based Budgeting come together to demonstrate the ability to accomplish what was once only possible with the resources of the Federal Government. These organizations haven’t waited for Federal resources to make incredible progress. The decade of local government is indeed underway!

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

 

 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

CPBB Social Media Follower Fiesta! Limited Time Registration Discount for "Summit of Leading Practices"

  

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

Conference Registration Discount Bonus!

 

All social media followers of @TheCPBB (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) receive a 20% conference discount if you register by 5 PM EST Friday June 14th (& we know who you are!).

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference, scheduled July 9th and 10th in Arlington, Virginia, is an excellent source of information about local government leading practices. The Summit will feature discussions, case studies and presentations on priority-based budgeting, fiscal health, civic engagement and high-performance organizations, all topics that are critical to the success of local governments.

 

 

Don't miss this opportunity to find out about these leading practice areas and meet senior local-government managers and elected officials who have employed these strategies in their organizations.
 

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where   
local government Leading Practices come together under one roof.  Be a part of the community of leading practices in local government management.

 

 

Unique Session Highlights include:

 

Dynamic Speakers: Listen to dynamic speakers from the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, Commonwealth Centers for High Performance Organizations as well as: Kathie Novak (Past President NLC), Pete Peterson (Davenport Institute of Public Policy), Tom Miller (National Research Center), Shane Kavanagh (Government Finance Officer's Association/GFOA and much more!

 

Cutting Edge Tech Tools: An intense and in-depth focus on the technology and tools that make the work of leading practices effective.

 

Innovative Case Studies ("User Group Experience"): Featuring the nation's leading community pioneers sharing their unique experiences in implementing Fiscal Health & Priority Based Budgeting.

 

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

Register here for the 2013 Center for Priority Based Budgeting Conference

 

 The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

 

Contact Erik Fabian at efabian@pbbcenter.org or 503.866.4580 to take advantage of this discount or with questions.

CPBB Launches Priority Based Budgeting in Springfield, Oregon

  




The Center for Priority Based Budgeting is proud to begin implementation of Priority Based Budgeting in the beautiful City of Springfield, Oregon today. Tonight we'll be presenting the Priority Based Budgeting Results Validation Workshop to the Springfield City Council. According to the Springfield City Council Agenda Packet, "Priority Based Budgeting is a strategic alternative to traditional budgeting. The philosophy of priority-driven budgeting is that resources should be allocated according to how effectively a program or service achieves the goals and objectives that are of greatest value to the community. It is a flexible step-by-step process to budget scarce resources. Priority Based Budgeting represents a fundamental change in the way resources are allocated, requiring accountability for results that are the basis for a service budget allocation.


The program Springfield is beginning in 2013 has been designed by the Center for PriorityBased Budgeting and is being supported by the International City/County Manager’sAssociation (ICMA). This first year represents a change in budgeting philosophy that is designed to provide greater integration between our Council’s Community goals, our City’s and department’s strategic plans and decisions concerning resource allocation during the budget process. The base developed during this first year lends itself to expand during subsequent years to include greater community involvement and a greater understanding of measuring progress towards success."

Thank you to the City of Springfield for launching an innovate new approach to budgeting! We know you will be very successful!

Be sure to monitor our twitter feed @theCPBB for City of Springfield PBB implementation updates over the next two days.

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

 

 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

CPBB "Peelin" Back the Layers to Determine the Best Use of Funds."

 
Cheryl Hilvert, ICMA Director, Center for Management Strategies, recently shared this post from Linked In from a former IBM manager who attended a presentation by the Center for Management Strategies own leading practice provider the Center for Priority Based Budgeting. 

She applauded the approach by CPBB likening the methodology to "peeling back the layers to uncover why you are providing a service or product and whether it is the best use of funds."  She then adds, "once you have prioritized your goals, then you can prepare a work breakdown schedule to assign your resources, timelines and measurements.  It's the basic who, what, when, where, how and why.  Finally, you must document the results so as to identify risks for future projects."

And one last comment, "The presentation to the Colorado Government Finance Officers Association

was one all local government and special district financial personnel or Board Members should attend."

Congratulations Chris and Jon!  You have an  awesome approach and this pretty much says it all!!!

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

 

 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

Priority Based Budgeting Initiates Investment in Local Government Transportation Infrastructure

There has been significant debate around the Country recently about where to find the resources to invest in ailing and failing infrastructure. With recent news headlines of Washington's bridge collapse, local governments who are already struggling to find the resources to preserve basic services and fund long-term pension liabilities were reminded of the multi-billion dollar backlog of infrastructure improvements also vying for investment.

The infrastructure debate is not entirely new, nor is the question a new one: where do we find the money? It’s that the answers we seek must be new.

Douglas County, Nevada has successfully identified new solutions to fund long-awaited transportation infrastructure needs with their shift to Priority Based Budgeting. See Douglas County newsletter article "Priority Budgeting Leads to $1 Million for Roads."

“For the past decade, the County has spent approximately $300,000 per year on preventative road maintenance, but with the Board’s actions to shift funds from lower priority services next fiscal year the County will now spend approximately $1.5 million on preventative road maintenance. Another $3-4 million per year is needed to maintain County roads at their current condition.

After five years of budget imbalances, position eliminations and reductions in services, Douglas County has set itself on course to invest taxpayer resources in high priority services that add value to residents.”

Congratulations to Douglas County, Nevada, for using Priority Based Budgeting to find innovative solutions in solving transport infrastructure challenges for the overall safety of the community!

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!

CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference: Shout Out to Our "Leading Sponsors!"

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management (and more) come together under one roof. 

While "leading Practices" are invaluable (and AWESOME!), so are our amazing partners, sponsors and exhibitors who are instrumental in making this THE local government event of the year.

QUARTILE 1 Sponsor & Exhibitor

SAFEbuilt

QUARTILE 2 Sponsor & Exhibitor

ClearPoint

SUPPORTING Sponsor & Exhibitor

Beehive Industries

EXHIBITORS

OPENGOV

Revelstone Labs

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

Priority Based Budgeting: Through the Lens of a Master’s Thesis

What is the best approach to your local government budgeting process? Performance-based? Outcome-based? Participatory? Priority-based? Of course, the answer depends on what your organization desires to achieve, what your community expects, and what your culture will support.

If we’re to be true to the philosophies of each of these processes, the answer to this question also depends on the evidence and objective evaluation of all options based on measureable criteria. Master’s graduate and advisor to the City of Oakland, California’s Budget Advisory Committee, Natasha Middleton, has recently authored a paper that does just that. To access both the Executive Summary, as well as the comprehensive analysis provided in Middleton’s thesis paper "Priority Based Budgeting: A Model for the City of Oakland's Long Term Fiscal Sustainability," click here.

For the City of Oakland, California, "Four (4) criteria were chosen to categorize and measure the given alternatives (See Appendix E). They are: 1) Political Feasibility: Would it work for the citizens of Oakland; 2) Equity: the overall structure of the budgeting plan and participation (quid pro quo); 3) Efficiency: Maximization of net benefits/public interest; and 4) Effectiveness: The strong potential for achieving long term fiscal sustainability"

Budgeting for Outcomes, Performance Based Budgeting, Participatory Budgeting and Priority Based Budgeting were the four processes evaluated in this study.

The following key quotes were of particular interest to our work at CPBB:

"Choosing Priority Based Budgeting as alternative budgeting model would be the right direction towards fiscal sustainability. Because the City of Oakland’s budget process is also program based, it could invest money for the high civic engagement model in order to focus on long-term fiscal savings. This model increases trust and relationship building and further drives transparency."

"Of the five alternatives, one was rated “High” for the majority of the criteria to merit as most likely to serve as an optimal budgeting model."

            "Choosing Priority Based Budgeting would be the right direction towards fiscal sustainability. Because the City of Oakland’s budget process is also program based “it focuses on the product of the budgeting effort farther than the line items that go into those programs,” it could invest money for the high civic engagement model in order to focus on long term fiscal savings. This model increases trust and relationship building and further drives transparency (Santana, Fiscal Year 2011-2013 Adopted Policy Budget for the City of Oakland, 2011)."

            "The City might consider investing in the high civic engagement option like the City of Cincinnati as an inexpensive investment to long-term savings. The community involvement favors Oakland similar to Cincinnati, Walnut Creek and San Jose where citizen and stakeholder involvement was valued at a very high level. For the City of San Jose, “residents favor reducing employee compensation and benefits rather than reducing City services or raising additional revenue” and “budget balancing strategies that result in minor or nor service reductions. The people of Oakland want to be involved and Priority Based Budgeting allows them to do so."

            "Because the model allows from transparency from beginning to end with mapping, ranking tools, strategic priority setting sessions, along with the involvement of stakeholders and creating a task force, it meets the equity criterion."

            "Since the process is program based and the City of Oakland’s budget is currently the same, the transition to Priority Based Budgeting should be seamless and because they already set priorities, acknowledging them will not be an issue. However, a further deep evaluation of those priorities: defining them extensively from community, staff, stakeholders and leadership perspectives would enhance the priority setting. Making sure that community input is provided at the beginning of priority setting is essential."

            "The benefit of implementing the Priority Based Budgeting model is reduction in costs and over-exertion or duplication of city resources. The more that the public is aligned with this budgeting model, the higher the benefit of understanding the budget and the government’s challenges and the greater incentive to work collaboratively will lessen the burden on city staff, and collectively focus on what city services and programs need to be both assessed and addressed for future financial planning."

            "Using this budgeting model will help the City structure its program based budgeting process. If used by the City, it does have the strong potential of helping Oakland achieve long-term fiscal sustainability this could be achieved across the board and not piecemeal."

While we at the Center for Priority Based Budgeting firmly believe in the philosophy and effectiveness of our Priority Based Budgeting program, and appreciate the conclusions made by the author of this paper, we openly admit that multiple factors are at play when a local government chooses what budget practice works best for their community. The CPBB encourages all readers to thoroughly read the analysis provided in this paper to determine what is the right approach for your community.

Our thanks to Natasha Middleton for sharing her work with us and allowing us to share her work with others!

The report contains the following disclaimer: “This study has been prepared for the Budget Advisory Committee, City of Oakland, CA. The author conducted this study in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Policy at Mills College. The judgments and conclusions are solely those of the author, and are not necessarily endorsed by the Mills College Public Policy Program, the sponsoring organization, or any other agency.”

To learn more about Priority Based Budgeting from CPBB and the nation's leading local government practitioners, be sure to attend the upcoming... 

Center for Priority Based Budgeting 2013 Annual Conference

 

"A Summit of Leading Practices"

July 9 & 10, 2013  Arlington, Virginia   Hilton Crystal City Hotel

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Brought to you by the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

 

The 2013 "Summit of Leading Practices" is the ONLY conference where ICMA's Leading Practices for Local Government Management come together under one roof. 

The 2013 CPBB "Summit of Leading Practices" Annual Conference is strongly supported by 

Quartile 1 sponsor SAFEbuilt, Quartile 2 sponsor ClearPoint, Supporting Sponsor Beehive Industries and Exhibitors OpenGov and Revelstone Labs. Thank you sponsors!