Priority Based Budgeting

Priority-based Budgeting at the City of Edgewater

Priority-based budgeting (PBB) is a budgeting method that allocates funds based on community priorities and available resources, rather than departments or previous expenditures. PBB can help ensure that the most important programs and services are funded and preserved. The City of Edgewater staff developed a Priority Based Budget to make City spending more transparent and align General Fund expenses with City Council Priorities.Three interconnected blue arrows forming a vertical chain.

Steps to Create a Priority Based Budget:

  1. Inventory City Programs:

    • Each department listed their services and organized them into City-wide programs.
    • We then consolidated these programs across all departments.

  2. Allocate Program Costs:

    • Departments assigned staff time and expenses to each program as part of the budget planning process.
    • These allocations represent the costs incurred by each department to provide services.

  3. Assign Programs to Priorities:

    • Staff used a scoring form to determine which priority each program aligns with most directly.
    • Some programs could align with multiple priorities, but we focused on direct alignment.

Breakdown of Priorities and Programs:

The City Council Strategic Plan guides the priorities set. Current priorities are: (1) Diversity, Equity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEEI), (2) Community Safety and Well-Being, (3) Sustainability and Resilience, (4) Business Community/Economics, (5) Housing, (6) Community Experience, (7) Plan Alignment and Implementation. Associated Programs are listed below each Priority.

Diversity, Equity, Equality, and Inclusion Community Safety and Well-Being Sustainability and Resilience
  • City Council Operations
  • Board / Commission Support
  • City Website Administration
  • Public Information and Citywide Communications
  • Election Management
  • City Desk Operations
  • Community Initiative: ADA Transition Plan
  • Municipal Court Operations
  • Community Patrol
  • Investigations
  • Street Safety Management
  • Land Use Development Services
  • Neighborhood Compliance
  • Community Initiative: Mental Health
  • Community Initiative: Comprehensive Plan
  • Community Initiative: 24th Ave Walkability
  • Refuse, Recycling and Compost Management
  • Snow Management
  • Stormwater Management
  • Public Infrastructure
  • Community Initiative: Urban Forestry
  • Engineering Services
  • Sustainability
Business Community/Economics Housing Community Experience
  • Business Support
  • Licensing
  • Community Initiative: Housing
  • Community Events
  • Park Management
  • Adult, Senior, Youth, and Toddler Programs
  • Fitness Center Operations
  • Community Initiatives: Community Wayfinding
Plan Alignment and Implementation
High Performing Organization
  • Records Management
  • Legal & Risk Management
  • Vehicles and Equipment Maintenance
  • Building Maintenance
  • IT Support/ Management
  • Regional Partnerships
 Fiscal Responsibility
  • Financial Management
  • Financial Accounting
 Workforce
  • Professional Development
  • Payroll and Benefits Management
  • People Operations
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