Yesterday was a big day in Peoria. The city had a study session to introduce the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, and pass out to council the budget book. The budget book is a very cool thing about local governments. It is a document that lays out a municipal budget in great detail, showing everything line by line. I love this because even though it can be a lot of work, it makes government accountable and transparent.
This year the budget is expected to be more contentious than in years prior. The city has put off rate increases on water/wastewater for the last couple of years and really can not put it off any longer. I won't say any more on the topic since not everything is public record yet, but will say that this will be a particularly difficult issue going forward.
The next month or so will be a difficult, but very interesting time to be in Peoria. For me as an intern it is a great opportunity to learn the political aspect of municipal budgeting.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Globe, Thomas, and Planning
Last weekend my family and I took a trip out to Globe, Arizona. We went for an event called a "Day Out With Thomas" (which I didn't hyperlink to because you most likely don't care about it) where they have a life-sized Thomas the tank engine pull you (and hopefully your kids, because if you're at this without kids it might be time to re-evaluate where your life is headed) around and lots of other kid friendly activities.
(Here's a picture I grabbed off google, so no that background is not Globe. Just wanted to remind you who Thomas is. He has a TV show, and has been voiced by Ringo Starr, George Carlin, and Alec Baldwin (ftw). Notice his huge, wide open eyes... possibly staring into your very soul. Anyways, kids love him; he's a big blue goldmine. Also, sorry the image is so enormous it wouldn't re-size easily so I guess bask in gigantic Thomas or read quickly to get away.)
As we drove out toward Globe I had no idea what to expect. We headed east on the 60, and I'd never been past the Val Vista (or there about) exit headed east on that freeway. The drive got surprisingly pretty and really got me thinking about cities and proper planning. Miami and then Globe were clearly mining towns. It was amazing to see the mountains with huge areas literally just cut away. These towns also looked as if they had clearly seen better days. I couldn't help but wonder if 50+ years ago if they had more of a future focus if these towns might have been in better shape.
I'm not claiming to have all the answers, and I am certainly not a planner. So really my point with all this is that it really struck me how important decisions we make now will be for the future. I am finishing a masters degree to help me work in local government, and decided to work in local government to be able to positively impact people and communities. The trip to Globe was a visual reminder of how drastic this impact can really be, and how important it is to thoughtfully and strategically make the best decision available... So that was my deep thought from the weekend.
(Here's a picture I grabbed off google, so no that background is not Globe. Just wanted to remind you who Thomas is. He has a TV show, and has been voiced by Ringo Starr, George Carlin, and Alec Baldwin (ftw). Notice his huge, wide open eyes... possibly staring into your very soul. Anyways, kids love him; he's a big blue goldmine. Also, sorry the image is so enormous it wouldn't re-size easily so I guess bask in gigantic Thomas or read quickly to get away.)As we drove out toward Globe I had no idea what to expect. We headed east on the 60, and I'd never been past the Val Vista (or there about) exit headed east on that freeway. The drive got surprisingly pretty and really got me thinking about cities and proper planning. Miami and then Globe were clearly mining towns. It was amazing to see the mountains with huge areas literally just cut away. These towns also looked as if they had clearly seen better days. I couldn't help but wonder if 50+ years ago if they had more of a future focus if these towns might have been in better shape.
I'm not claiming to have all the answers, and I am certainly not a planner. So really my point with all this is that it really struck me how important decisions we make now will be for the future. I am finishing a masters degree to help me work in local government, and decided to work in local government to be able to positively impact people and communities. The trip to Globe was a visual reminder of how drastic this impact can really be, and how important it is to thoughtfully and strategically make the best decision available... So that was my deep thought from the weekend.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Preparing and presenting
As I have been in the budget office these several months, I've seen the budget being prepared. It is a long process, and the people I work with are all really good at what they do. They have spent months and worked with the council and city departments to make the best budget possible. It has been a real learning experience for me, and I'm glad I could be a part of it.
Now the budget is getting close to being finished. There are still several things that need to be done, but a least the end is in sight. Soon the process will mean presenting the budget to council. This will be a little different this year too. The budget process was a little different this year, the politics are different this year, and of course the economy is still in a different kind of recession. What this means in Peoria is that the council will likely be taking a closer look than ever before and making a point to know as much as possible about the process.
It could mean challenges for staff, but the budget process has been solid and the hard work has been done. Knowing challenges are likely ahead isn't scary when you've prepared. It makes me glad that municipal government has a transparent budget process that when done right can withstand scrutiny.
Now the budget is getting close to being finished. There are still several things that need to be done, but a least the end is in sight. Soon the process will mean presenting the budget to council. This will be a little different this year too. The budget process was a little different this year, the politics are different this year, and of course the economy is still in a different kind of recession. What this means in Peoria is that the council will likely be taking a closer look than ever before and making a point to know as much as possible about the process.
It could mean challenges for staff, but the budget process has been solid and the hard work has been done. Knowing challenges are likely ahead isn't scary when you've prepared. It makes me glad that municipal government has a transparent budget process that when done right can withstand scrutiny.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Taking it all in
One of the advantages of interning in a large municipality (yes, Peoria is a large municipality in spite of what some long time residents of the valley say) is the broad exposure to services cities offer. I have been lucky to have been encourage to tour and learn from as many of these services and departments as possible. The majority of my time has been in the budget office, followed by the city manager's office, but during my time I have experienced first hand lots of other things.
For example, I went on "ride-a-longs" in both areas of public safety (fire and police). These were both new experiences for me. I have never been in the military or anything else that would remotely prepare me for these experiences. It was definitely interesting to spend a day in the life of what these men and women do day in and day out.
I've also been out with street crews patching roads. I rode around town in a garbage truck. storm sewer, recycling, and street sweeper trucks... yep seen them all first hand. I've even see the truck that paints lines on the street. Peoria also has a traffic signal department, and what I would call a traffic command center. It is state of the art stuff, and is even a backup command center in the area for Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) should they ever need it. I've even toured a waste water treatment plant. The list goes on and on... and there are still lots of things I've not seen.
My point in bringing all this up is this. We often hear people speak disparagingly of government, sometimes rightly so. What I really wish is that more residents could understand and see the services that local governments in particular provide. These are things that play a major part in daily life, and may not be provided by anyone else. So my charge to anyone reading this is before you lump all governments together, or make claims about what government does or does not do, go out and see for yourself. See if your own municipality can't change your mind.
For example, I went on "ride-a-longs" in both areas of public safety (fire and police). These were both new experiences for me. I have never been in the military or anything else that would remotely prepare me for these experiences. It was definitely interesting to spend a day in the life of what these men and women do day in and day out.
I've also been out with street crews patching roads. I rode around town in a garbage truck. storm sewer, recycling, and street sweeper trucks... yep seen them all first hand. I've even see the truck that paints lines on the street. Peoria also has a traffic signal department, and what I would call a traffic command center. It is state of the art stuff, and is even a backup command center in the area for Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) should they ever need it. I've even toured a waste water treatment plant. The list goes on and on... and there are still lots of things I've not seen.
My point in bringing all this up is this. We often hear people speak disparagingly of government, sometimes rightly so. What I really wish is that more residents could understand and see the services that local governments in particular provide. These are things that play a major part in daily life, and may not be provided by anyone else. So my charge to anyone reading this is before you lump all governments together, or make claims about what government does or does not do, go out and see for yourself. See if your own municipality can't change your mind.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Budget Crunch Time Part 2
Recently with all the work going into the budget I have really been able to learn a lot. The Peoria budget office works through a what I would call a facilitative role. More than in years past the departments in the city have been responsible for their own budgets. This means that departments have been given targets, and how they get there is up to them (within certain constraints).
The role of budget staff (and one lowly intern) has been to offer assistance in making needed cuts, and then double checking department results. At times the budget department is called upon to make suggestions to others, crunch numbers for departments, decide best how others should specifically enter their information into the budget system, and make sure department targets are hit. This means a lot of detail work, following up, and balancing numbers.
This can be trickier than it sounds. The city has a lot of funds to balance. Decisions are always being made and at the last minute things can change. That leaves the budget office scrambling. It is an exciting time to be around, and a great opportunity to learn. At the same time I'm glad it's not always this stressful, it could really burn everyone out.
The role of budget staff (and one lowly intern) has been to offer assistance in making needed cuts, and then double checking department results. At times the budget department is called upon to make suggestions to others, crunch numbers for departments, decide best how others should specifically enter their information into the budget system, and make sure department targets are hit. This means a lot of detail work, following up, and balancing numbers.
This can be trickier than it sounds. The city has a lot of funds to balance. Decisions are always being made and at the last minute things can change. That leaves the budget office scrambling. It is an exciting time to be around, and a great opportunity to learn. At the same time I'm glad it's not always this stressful, it could really burn everyone out.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Budget Crunch Time
The City of Peoria budget is in full swing! My coworkers have found a new sense of urgency. I'm not implying that they don't work hard the rest of the time... but now the budget needs to balanced and ready to present to council. Like most municipalities, the city is having to make difficult decisions to make ends meet.
Unfortunately, the tightness of the budget means I will not be able to take a job with Peoria when my internship ends. The good news is that I have other leads, and even a job offer. I am really excited about the opportunity, but I'm waiting to post details until everything is settled. Hope to be posting more on that soon.
Unfortunately, the tightness of the budget means I will not be able to take a job with Peoria when my internship ends. The good news is that I have other leads, and even a job offer. I am really excited about the opportunity, but I'm waiting to post details until everything is settled. Hope to be posting more on that soon.
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