The city has had their schedule up for months, here’s the counties, but I haven’t found it on the website yet . . . not sure I will, as the new website has me confused. The budget info there is still from 2010. I can find nice pictures of Kathleen, but not much else at the moment.
MEMO FROM COUNTY BOARD CHAIR (Printable Version)
September 30, 2010
MEMORANDUM
TO: All Dane County Supervisors
Other Interested PartiesFROM: Supervisor Scott McDonell, Chair
Dane County Board of SupervisorsSUBJECT: 2011 Budget Process, Schedule, Amendments and Staff Assistance
I want to provide you with an overview of the County Board budget review process for the 2011 Dane County budget.
On Friday, October 1st, the County Executive will transmit her budget recommendations to the Board for the 2011 fiscal year. The Board will receive a budget document which will include each department’s operating and capital budgets and the County Executive’s recommended funding levels and program initiatives.
At the County Board meeting on October 7th, Operating and Capital Budget resolutions, and a tax levy resolution, will be introduced to the board. These appropriations resolutions constitute the County’s legal budget. Substitute amendments to the resolutions, assuming there are budget amendments adopted in committee or on the Board floor, will be adopted by the Board. In addition to the legal appropriations, these resolutions include budget control policies, provisions specific to certain expenditures or initiatives, and authorization for personnel.
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. 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 as soon as possible after the committee takes its final action.
A budget schedule is attached to this memorandum which is, of course, subject to change as we move through the process. The Personnel and Finance Committee will develop its own schedule for reviewing standing committee recommendations and will notify supervisors, committee chairs and departments of that schedule.
STANDING COMMITTEE REVIEW
If possible, standing committees can begin review of the proposed budgets for departments and agencies for which they have oversight beginning the week of Monday, October 4th. Standing committee chairs should plan on continuing their review during the weeks of October 11th and 18th. Standing committees should plan on meeting more than once per week, if necessary, in order to complete departmental reviews and make recommendations to Personnel and Finance as soon as possible, ideally no later than Thursday, October 21st (Friday, October 22nd is a county-wide furlough day and all county offices will be closed). Supervisors are strongly encouraged to bring any amendments for departmental budgets to the standing committees for their consideration during this period.
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET
The Public Hearing on the 2011 County Budget will be held Monday, October 25th at 7:00 PM in the County Board Chambers, Room 201 CCB. Testimony will be taken from members of the general public and other interested parties, but no other actions will be taken. Should supervisors wish to submit additional amendments resulting from testimony at the hearing, they should be requested from staff no later than Friday, October 29th.
PERSONNEL & FINANCE COMMITTEE
Beginning Monday, October 18th, 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, and continue the weeks of October 25th and November 1st. The Personnel and Finance Committee will establish its own deadlines for considering standing committee recommendations and the submittal of amendments and it is my understanding that they will only consider amendments that are in writing and submitted prior to committee meetings at which they are to be considered. It is my intention that all standing committee action, including Personnel and Finance consideration of committee recommendations, will be concluded by Monday, November 8th.
COUNTY BOARD CONSIDERATION OF THE BUDGET
The County Board will begin budget deliberations on Monday, November 15th 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 Wednesday, November 17th and if necessary, Thursday, November 18th prior to the regular County Board meeting scheduled that night. We will also reserve Monday, November 22nd for budget deliberations if needed. Over the last several years the budget has been completed in one night or two nights, but it is always possible additional meetings will be necessary. 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 calendar 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 resolutionOTHER BUDGET REMINDERS
• Ordinance amendments for fee increases: Any fee increases, or new fees, required to provide revenue in the budget must be enacted by the board by the time the budget is passed. All departments and any supervisors proposing to fund items in the budget with new fee revenue should submit ordinance amendments early in October in order for them to be approved in a timely fashion. These ordinance amendments will be considered at the county board meeting at which budget deliberations occur. County board rules requires fee increases to receive a two-thirds majority of the county board if not adopted during the budget process.
• Budget control language (provisions): The budget resolutions contain language that provides additional guidance for and control over county spending. Supervisors should review that language carefully to further understand various aspects of the budget. This language for example might include requirements for studies that must be completed, approvals that would be required before expenditures can be made, and various policies that govern spending of budgeted amounts. Budget amendments can be made to add, delete or modify provisions.
• 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, even at the standing committee stage, preferably on the budget amendment forms which are available in 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 Tim Saterfield (267-1529) or Karin Peterson (266-4533) in our office, or Chuck Hicklin in the Controller’s Office (266-4109) to request preparation of amendments or other research. As always, they will be working together closely to coordinate the amendment process. Amendments should be requested from staff no later than Friday, October 29th.
• Amendments submitted to standing committees: As in the past, supervisors are strongly encouraged to submit amendments to standing committees for review in order to ensure due consideration. Amendments can also be submitted directly to the Personnel and Finance Committee at the time of their review of standing committee actions on the affected departments.
• Subject of amendments: Although amendments will be drafted with reference to pages and decision items in the budget document, if appropriate, to clarify intent, technically the amendments are made to the appropriations resolutions, not to the 2011 Dane County Executive Budget document provided by the County Executive’s Office. The Executive Budget document provides narrative and fiscal information on the County’s departments, programs and proposed capital projects, and highlights “Decision Items” representing budget changes. Amendments that amend decision item language or other text in the budget document should not be drafted or considered by standing committees.
• Amendment packets for Board deliberation: the Controller’s Office will prepare packets of the amendments approved by the Personnel and Finance Committee 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.
• Amendments should be in writing: while additional amendments are allowable from the floor during County Board deliberations, new amendments must be in writing, and should be prepared ahead of time to facilitate distribution to all supervisors. However, I encourage all supervisors to submit amendments to standing committees or Personnel and Finance for review prior to Board deliberations.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.
BUDGET RESOURCES
In addition to the proposed budget you receive from the County Executive, we have available in the County Board Office other budget resources offering more detail on the proposed budgets:
• A line item budget for all departments will be available, as well as a line item summary of each decision item by department and program. These resources will be readily available in the Supervisor Work Room, or you may contact staff to obtain specific information.
• Budget requests for all county departments, which include detailed information on all decision item requests, as well as any issue papers developed by department staff.
• Budget information will be made available on the Department of Administration web site shortly after the County Executive’s recommendations are made
• County Board staff can provide each supervisor with a 3-ring binder or any other supplies you need to organize your budget materials. Please see county board office staff for assistance.I hope this information addresses your questions about the budget process. Should you have additional questions, please contact me or County Board staff.
SCHEDULE (Printable Version)
SCHEDULE FOR REVIEW OF 2011 DANE COUNTY BUDGET
October 1 (Friday) Executive Budget transmitted to the BoardOctober 4-8 Standing Committee review of agency budgets begins/ consideration of amendments – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
October 7 (Thursday) Regular County Board Meeting/budget resolutions introduced
October 11-15 Standing Committee review of agency budgets/consideration of amendments – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
October 18-21 Standing Committee review of agency budgets and consideration of supervisor amendments should be completed during this period – supervisor amendments submitted during this period
Personnel and Finance Committee begins consideration of Standing Committee recommendations on Operating and Capital Budgets and supervisor amendments, if possible
October 21 (Thursday) Regular County Board Meeting
October 22 (Friday) County Furlough Day – all county offices closed
October 25 (Monday) Public Hearing on the Budget – 7:00 PM (Room 201 CCB)
Oct. 25 – 29 Personnel and Finance Committee consideration of Standing Committee recommendations on Operating and Capital Budgets and supervisor amendments
October 29 (Friday) Deadline for supervisor amendments to be requested for consideration by Personnel and Finance
November 1 & 3 If needed, Personnel and Finance Committee consideration of Standing Committee recommendations on Operating and Capital Budgets and supervisor amendments – Final Recommendation to Board
November 4 (Thursday) Regular County Board Meeting
November 8 (Monday) If needed, Personnel and Finance Committee consideration of Standing Committee recommendations on Operating and Capital Budgets and supervisor amendments – Final Recommendation to Board
November 15 (Monday) County Board budget deliberations begin 7:00PM, assuming Personnel and Finance completes action and amendment packet and substitute resolutions are completed
November 17 & 18 Continue budget deliberations, if necessary.
(Wed. and Thurs.)November 18 (Thursday) Regular County Board Meeting
November 22 (Monday) Continue budget deliberations, if necessary
