Council moves to earlier FY27 budget planning, prioritize major items and reduce meetings

Councilmembers discussed an earlier and more focused approach to preparing the FY27 budget, proposing strategic planning and prioritization so the council can reduce the number of line-by-line budget meetings. Councilmember (Speaker 1) said the council would “probably in, like, October, November, really moving that forward” instead of starting heavy preparation in early January.

Why it matters: the council seeks to balance two goals: passing a sound budget and ensuring members understand the budget. Members proposed grouping departments that kept spending within a CPI-level increase into single review evenings and saving more time for departments requesting larger changes. Councilmember (Speaker 1) suggested a pre-budget planning session for the council to identify the items that require deep review so those items are placed at the top of evening agendas.

Members also flagged specific programs they expect to scrutinize next year; one member noted solid waste as an item that “we're gonna have to be digging into a lot more” because of key policy areas and budget constraints. Staff said they will meet internally and come back to the council with a proposed process, timeline and suggested prioritization matrix.

Ending: Staff and council agreed to continue internal planning and return to the council with a timeline and a prioritized approach to FY27 budget preparations.