Strategic Plans, Business Plans and Budgets

The Planning Cycle
The City conducts its annual Citizen Satisfaction Survey and bi-annual Employee Satisfaction Surveys in January. This information, along with an environmental scan held in March of each year, provides a strong foundation for City Council’s Strategic Planning sessions, which are conducted in April of each year. Participating in this process are members of Council and members from some of Council’s boards, along with the City’s Corporate Planning Team.

Departmental Business Plans
Individual departmental business plans are then developed through May and June, with clearly-defined short-term goals identified, ensuring that Council’s initiatives are addressed and resourced in the budget. In conjunction with the business plans, departments are required to determine their staffing for the next three years by the end of June (these plans are included in the budget document). The relationship between a department’s business plan and its operating budget is clarified by the budget notes, and in the funding of business plan goals and core services.

The Budget Process
A corporate Strategic Planning Calendar with key dates and budget deadlines assists the organization in this process.

Capital
The preparation of the capital budget commences in June and is finalized in late fall. A rolling 10-year capital plan is updated annually, and the first three years of that plan are incorporated into the budget document. It is expected that all master plans are reviewed and related capital needs resourced in the 10-year plan. Detailed capital request justifications are prepared for all projects for the first budget year.

Operating
The three-year operating budget is prepared at the departmental level in August/September, driven by the business plan goals and departmental initiatives. It is reviewed by the department’s director, and modified as necessary. Each program manager presents his/her business plan and accompanying budget to the Corporate Planning Team, who then globally review the entire City budget and determine any necessary changes. A first draft is presented to the Finance Committee (made up of the mayor, two aldermen, and four members of the public at large) in November, where it is again reviewed and modified if necessary. The Finance Committee meetings are open to the public. To this point, no other public input mechanism has formed part of the budget process, although it has been considered. Finance Committee’s recommendation then goes forward to Council, and the final budget is adopted in December.

Long-Term Implications of Other Planning Processes
The City has a number of master planning documents that have been developed, and these are routinely taken into consideration in the three-year budget process. These include the Municipal Development Plan, the Emergency Services Master Plan, the Recreation Master Plan, the Parks Master Plan and the I.T. Strategic Plan.