Revolutionary new tool will kick-start annual budget planning
When the city of Key West’s annual budget cycle kicks off at 6 p.m. tonight in a special City Commission meeting, it will be unlike any other budget planning rotation in the city’s history.
Yes, there will be discussion and likely arguments over which new projects the city should take on. Yes, there will be pencil sharpening and horse trading to pay for the programs that maintain the quality of life in Key West.
But this year there will be something new in front of the mayor and city commissioners: A novel planning tool that, according to its author, City Manager Bob Vitas, will give city staff, officials and residents a clear snapshot of the entire city government, its programs and projects, and how the status of those programs will affect the next fiscal year
Instead of a disparate view of separate departments and projects – not to mention trying to keep track of the annual budget, strategic plan, capital improvements plan and other documents that are the backbone of City Hall’s day to day operations – the annual work plan, as Vitas is calling it, pulls together all major current programs and projects in each department, where the funding sources are, the status of the project and how it fits in with the city’s overall strategic plan. It puts the information into one, easily readable diagram that uses standardized column headings allowing fast department to department comparisons.
“One of the great struggles all local governments typically have is taking all the major documents that we operate with and create a snapshot on a single page so you can track it all together,” Vitas said, adding that the new annual plan will allow officials to “at any given time figure out where we are with the budget.”
The work plan pulls together the most recent strategic plan adopted in 2011, the most recent priorities adopted by city commissioners in fiscal year 2013, the priorities proposed by city management in FY 2013, the five-year capital improvement program and the current FY 2013-2014 budget. It then identifies the specific department or division responsible for each project/program, the status of the program and when it is expected to be completed. The work plan also shows how the program fits in with the city’s specific strategic objectives. Another column in the diagram cross references the project or program with the annual budget and five-year capital improvements program.
Future improvements to the work plan will allow the city to monitor and evaluate individual staff performance for each project.
“At the end of the day we’ve created an organization that is more responsive and results-driven to the needs ever present in the community, both residential and commercial,” Vitas said.
Mayor Craig Cates said he was “very impressed” with the work plan, which will be rolled out at Wednesday’s budget workshop with staff and city commissioners. That meeting will take place at 6 p.m. tonight at Old City Hall, 510 Greene St. The work plan will also be available to the public on the city’s website.
“We’ve never had that before,” Cates said about the annual work plan. “It makes people realize the projects that are going on. Key West is a big business with a lot of pieces.”
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Rick
Was I at the same event you were at? I don’t think I was. Boo’s came from all around me. Not running was not what the event was about. Yaniz started to give a speech after saying he wasn’t going to run. If anyone could get up and make a 2 minute speech we’d still be there. The blunder seems to be on you, accusing people who are not even on Hometown’s board of jeering. Todd did a fine job, with grace and humor. Your observations had none of those. I hope you’ll put a retraction in the next edition
That was a joke when he said I’m not running responding to Todd’s joke about Sloan being crazy qualified. Tony will get stuff done that matters without the red tape.