Yes, by the end of the week, survey’s will be out, meetings scheduled and the city will be looking for your input.
Too soon? A few alders definitely felt that way as they were announcing this at the Common Council Organizational Committee. Wondering why they would start looking at the budget so soon.
Well, the reasoning goes like this. In May the Mayor sends out the request for budgets from the Department Heads. He works on the capital and operating budgets and they come out in September and October. So, if public input is to make a difference with the Department Heads and the Mayor – the input has to come in early.
The Mayor could ask for the pretend feedback that happens in August, when everyone is gone on vacation, and when many of the decisions are well on their way to being formed. But he knows that is not the way Madison does that.
The alders also discussed what the purpose of the input was since everything gets ranked high. I think they came around to deciding that the value of the survey might be getting the public to understand all the great things the city does and that their tax dollars are well spent. People don’t come up with things that they don’t want the city to do.
Also, the survey will be much shorter this year! So, it won’t take so long to participate. Also, they want less presentation at the events and more talking by the participants, so less power point presentation and more discussion.
Preliminary information is that the input sessions will be held at 7:00 each night on possibly the following dates.
April 11 (hold for asm), April 12, 16, 26, 30 and May 8.
They will be held at Olbrich, Warner Park, the Senior Center and the Labor Temple, Wright Middle School or Toki.
So, budget time!!!! Believe it or not.
