You ask a question and the universe provides . . . sorta.
A little birdy sent this along to me . . . but I gotta say, its ridiculous when I’m getting this from where I got it . . . why isn’t this on the county board website. And thank you loyal blog reader and unlikely suspect! Why aren’t progressive elected officials putting out press releases and educating the public about their process?
First the memo, decreed from on high . . .
September 20, 2016
TO: All Dane County Supervisors
Other Interested Parties
FROM: Supervisor Sharon Corrigan, Chair
Dane County Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT: 2017 Budget ScheduleI want to provide you with the guidelines for the County Board budget review process, as well as the timeline for the 2017 Dane County budget. This comprehensive memo contains the information you require for effective consideration of the budget throughout October and November.
As always, the County Board’s review of the budget is based on review at the committee level. The Personnel and Finance Committee will be the lead committee for reviewing standing committee recommendations for the Operating Budget and the Capital Budget.
Standing committees will review and make recommendations to Personnel and Finance on the budgets for departments and programs for which they have oversight, but do not vote on the resolutions themselves. Please be sure to look at your committee agendas the evening prior to the meeting for any amendments that have been posted for consideration.Personnel and Finance will consider committee recommendations, as well as amendments from individual supervisors, and then make a recommendation to the Board. Amendment packets containing all of the amendments approved by Personnel and Finance will be made available to all supervisors via Legistar as soon as possible after the committee takes its final action.
Let me describe the basics of how materials will be made available throughout the process.
AMENDMENT PROCESS
To provide the public with full information regarding proposed amendments, amendments for consideration must be drafted and submitted to committee staff by 10 AM the day prior to the committee meeting at which the amendment will be considered. This will allow staff to add the amendment to the agenda for the meeting so it can be viewed by the public on the website. Please remember to look at the amendments the evening prior to the meeting; all amendments for the meeting should be posted by that time.
Supervisors may NOT bring unposted amendments to the committee meetings. As a Board, we value transparency. Therefore, the most important legislation of the year should be considered with full public review. Please plan in advance so that your amendments are prepared and posted as described above.
If you have an amendment drafted after the standing committee agenda is posted, then please plan to request it be part of the appropriate Personnel and Finance Committee agenda for consideration. As you know, Personnel and Finance reviews the recommendation of each of the other standing committees. If your amendment has not been presented to the standing committee, you may bring it to the Personnel and Finance meeting at which the specific standing committee’s actions are reviewed. However, it will need to be included in the packet for that meeting, so please plan ahead. Also note that, historically, amendments brought directly to Personnel and Finance without consideration of the oversight committee are less likely to be approved. Additionally, amendments should include a revenue source to offset increased expenditures.
Amendments will be included in a file of operating amendments and a file of capital amendments for each committee. Just as you can look at the text of a resolution or at the fiscal note for a given item in Legistar, you will be able to view a file that will be labeled to indicate the committee at which the amendments will be considered. For each committee there will be a file for capital amendments and a file for operating amendments.
As with other legislative items, a budget amendment considered at a committee meeting may be amended by the committee. For example, if a budget amendment adds $25,000 to a program, the committee might make a motion to amend the budget amendment to add only $10,000 to a program. The meeting minutes and subsequent budget amendment will reflect that change.
OTHER BUDGET REMINDERS
Requests For Amendments: County Board and Controller’s Office staff are available throughout the budget process to assist in developing and drafting budget amendments. Supervisors are expected to have amendments in writing on the budget amendment forms which are available from the County Board Office or from the Controller’s Office.
Staff can also provide additional information and analysis and explain any aspect of the budget. Please contact Karin (266-4533) in our office, or Chuck Hicklin in the Controller’s Office (266-4109) to request preparation of amendments or other research. The Department of Human Services staff may also prepare amendments. As always, they will be working together closely to coordinate the amendment process.
Remember your iPads: Please remember to bring your iPads to each committee meeting because amendments will be available electronically. The amendments will be projected on the screen so the public can follow the proceedings. The intent is that paper copies generally will not be provided.
Check the Website for Meeting Schedules: There are many standing committee meetings throughout October and November at which budget issues may be considered. I encourage you to check iLegislate or the county’s website for meeting notices to stay abreast of meetings as they are posted.
PERSONNEL & FINANCE COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
Beginning Tuesday, November 1st, the Personnel and Finance Committee will begin to review and approve standing committee recommendations and individual supervisor amendments to the Operating Budget and Capital Budget. The committee will continue its work on Wednesday, November 2nd, and Monday, November 7th, Wednesday November 9th, and possibly Thursday November 10th. The Personnel and Finance Committee will establish its own deadlines for considering standing committee recommendations and the submittal of amendments. It is my intention that all standing committee action, including Personnel and Finance consideration of committee recommendations, will be concluded by Thursday, November 10th.
COUNTY BOARD CONSIDERATION OF THE BUDGET
The County Board will begin budget deliberations on Monday, November 14th at 7:00 PM, assuming the Personnel and Finance Committee has completed its work and there is time to produce amendment packets. Budget deliberations will continue on Tuesday, November 15th and if necessary, Wednesday, November 16th. A regular County Board meeting is scheduled for November 17th. Over the last several years the budget has been completed in one night, but it is always possible additional meetings will be necessary.
We will reserve Monday, November 28th for a possible County Board meeting to consider vetoes.
Please be sure you have those dates on your schedule and be prepared to be present to vote on the budget.
During County Board budget deliberations, the agenda will include:
consideration of budget-related ordinance amendments for fee increases
consideration of operating budget resolution
consideration of capital budget resolution
consideration of tax levy resolution• Amendment packets for Board deliberation: the Controller’s Office will prepare packets of the amendments approved by the Personnel and Finance Committee and post the materials in Legistar for review during Board deliberations. These packets will be made available as soon as possible after the Personnel and Finance Committee completes action. During Board deliberations, deletion or modification of these amendments may be considered.
Floor Amendments: If you intend to offer a budget amendment on the floor for full County Board consideration, please work with County Board staff so it is posted as part of the County Board agenda by Friday, November 11th.
BUDGET VETOES
Following final board action, the appropriations resolutions and the tax levy setting resolution will be submitted to the County Executive. The Executive has until the next County Board meeting, but a minimum of six days, excluding Sundays, to return any budget vetoes to the Board. The County Executive’s veto authority is similar to the Governor’s – words and phrases may be modified in addition to modifying appropriations amounts. Appropriations maybe be vetoed in whole or in part, but a veto does not restore an appropriation to the recommended amount. If there are vetoes, the County Board will meet to consider veto override motions and, if necessary, re-set the tax levy.
AND THE SCHEDULE
Prior to October 1 Executive Budget transmitted to Board and Referred to Personnel and Finance
October 3 – 7 Standing Committee review of agency budgets/consideration of amendments – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
October 6 Regular County Board Meeting/budget resolutions introduced
October 10 – 14 Standing Committee review of agency budgets/consideration of amendments – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
October 17 – 21 Standing Committee review of agency budgets/consideration of amendments – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
October 19 Public Hearing on 2017 Budget – 7:00 PM (Room 201 CCB)
October 20 Regular County Board meeting
October 24 – 28 Standing Committee consideration of supervisor amendments should be completed during this period – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
November 1 – 2 Personnel and Finance Committee consideration of Standing Committee recommendations on Operating and Capital Budgets and supervisor amendments
November 3 Regular County Board meeting
November 7 – 10 Personnel and Finance Committee consideration of Standing Committee recommendations on Operating and Capital Budgets and supervisor amendments – Final Recommendation to Board
November 14 County Board budget deliberations begin 7:00PM, assuming Personnel and Finance completes action and amendment packet and substitute resolutions are completed
November 15 Continue budget deliberations, if necessary
November 16 Continue budget deliberations, if necessary
November 17 Regular County Board meeting
November 28 County Board Meeting, if necessary, to consider budget vetoes
