HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-3-14Tentative
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
T E N T A T I V E
MARCH 14, 2011
9:00 A.M. – 12:00 NOON
ROOM 241
COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING
1. Call to Order.
2. Approval of Joint Local Government/School Division Budget Communication Strategy.
3. Work Session: FY 2011/2012 Operating and Capital Budgets.
a. Capital Improvements Program
b. Continuing Issues from Prior Work Sessions
o Overview of Benefits Costs
o List of Potential Budget Changes
c. Approve Proposed Budget for Public Hearing
d. Set 2011 Tax Rates for Public Hearing
4. Matters Not Listed on the Agenda.
5. Adjourn to March 15, 2011, if needed.
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COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AGENDA TITLE:
Joint Local Government School Division Budget
Communications Strategy
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST:
Recommendation regarding a Joint Local Government
School Division Budget Communications Strategy
STAFF CONTACT(S):
Mr. Foley, and Ms. Catlin, and Ms. Allshouse
LEGAL REVIEW: No
AGENDA DATE:
March 14, 2010
ACTION: X INFORMATION:
CONSENT AGENDA:
ACTION: INFORMATION:
ATTACHMENTS: Yes
REVIEWED BY:
BACKGROUND:
In the summer and fall of 2010, following a particularly challenging budget season during which both Boards were
facing significantly declining revenues and painful programmatic and personnel reductions across all departments and
agencies, these two Boards met with Dr. William Bosher of Virginia Commonwealth University to begin a new process
of collaborative work to best serve the citizens of Albemarle County. As a result of these meetings, a consensus
emerged regarding an emphasis on joint communications and an impartial clearinghouse of agreed-upon facts. This
document serves to outline that commitment, provide a summary of work to date, identify strategies for the 2011-12
budget process, and propose next steps for continued collaboration to best serve our community.
DISCUSSION:
The attached document outlines a collaborative approach regarding budget communications with the following
objectives:
Better understanding by elected officials, staff, and community members of the operations of and
challenges faced by both the School Division and the County as a whole
Collaborative spirit among Board of Supervisors, School Board and staff as all work to serve
constituent needs
Strengthen the public’s trust and faith in elected officials’ ability to govern and staff ability to execute
Streamlined and aligned communications to provide more transparency and ease of use to elected
officials and community at large
Accurate information for use by elected officials and community
A dynamic, accountable process for providing requested information in a timely, accurate, unbiased
manner
The document also outlines guiding principles based on the Joint Strategic Retreat discussions, efforts to date,
strategies for the 2011 budget process, and possible next steps.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budget impact.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends that the Board endorse this joint strategy; the School Board will be reviewing the document at their
meeting on March 10.
ATTACHMENT
Joint Local Government School Division Budget Communications Strategy
Return to Agenda
Introduction
Our community is served by two elected Boards: a School Board, whose constitutional responsibility is to ensure an
appropriate public education is available to all our community’s children, and the Board of Supervisors, who provides
oversight and fiscal responsibility for the operations of the entire county government. We recognize that because
School Board members are elected as advocates for our schools, the two Boards will always face the challenge of
balancing competing priorities. As School Board members work to improve Albemarle’s public education system, the
Board of Supervisors must balance school division needs with competing needs of other county departments and
agencies while maintaining an appropriate tax rate that fosters economic development, provides for a strong
infrastructure, and ensures satisfied citizens and continued quality of life. We recognize and respect the different
charges for each board, and affirm respective Board members’ abilities to carry out the duties they have sworn to do.
We also recognize philosophical differences among and between individual elected officials, and recognize the value
of those differing perspectives in producing reasonable and positive outcomes for our community. We trust the
democratic process of civil discourse, engaged and informed officials and citizens, and reasoned decision-making to
produce the optimum results for our community given the resources and priorities established through this process.
In the summer and fall of 2010, following a particularly challenging budget season during which both Boards were
facing significantly declining revenues and painful programmatic and personnel reductions across all departments and
agencies, these two Boards met with Dr. William Bosher of Virgini a Commonwealth University to begin a new process
of collaborative work to best serve the citizens of Albemarle County. As a result of these meetings, a consensus
emerged regarding an emphasis on joint communications and an impartial clearinghouse of agreed-upon facts. This
document serves to outline that commitment, provide a summary of work to date, identify strategies for the 2011-12
budget process, and propose next steps for continued collaboration to best serve our community.
Objectives
Better understanding by elected officials, staff, and community members of the operations of and
challenges faced by both the School Division and the County as a whole
Collaborative spirit among Board of Supervisors, School Board and staff as all work to serve
constituent needs
Strengthen the public’s trust and faith in elected officials’ ability to govern and staff ability to execute
Streamlined and aligned communications to provide more transparency and ease of use to elected
officials and community at large
Accurate information for use by elected officials and community
A dynamic, accountable process for providing requested information in a timely, accurate, unbiased
manner
Guiding Principles based onJoint Strategic Retreat discussions:
all participants agree to honor the process as described and will express any concerns in the agreed
upon manner
all discussions, both public and private, between individuals and groups will reflect a spirit of civility
and mutual respect
all parties will maintain an assumption of good faith on the part of all participants towards achieving
our highest common goal of serving the community
we will focus any debate on policies and not on agreed-upon facts
Efforts to Date
Increased School Board and staff involvement in the County’s Five Year Financial Planning Process
County and school staff have shared budget presentation information with each other prior to public
presentations and have collaborated to make sure material is consistent and accurate
A joint communications steering committee has been established and held meetings
School Board members, Supervisors, and county and school division staff took part in the United Way
Day of Caring Project in September 2010 at Woodbrook Elementary School
Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board magisterial district Town Hall meetings in some districts
Based on constituent feedback, the School Division redesigned Section A of its comprehensive
budget book to create a narrative Executive Summary which provides information about successes,
operational analysis and key initiatives, with the cost and rationale, in a single location
In response to requests from Supervisors and community, School Division streamlined and clarified
fund descriptions in its budget
County is including School Division data and highlights in its Annual Report published in the Daily
Progress
Significant shared services and programs
Strategies for 2011 Budget Process – Actions that staff considers achievable and meaningful given available
resources and time constraints
develop and maintain a joint Frequently Asked Questions publication accessible on both websites
that is dynamic in nature to continuously add emerging inquiries (completed)
local government and schools will both funnel requested information through a single point of contact
in their respective Communications Offices (underway)
both websites will feature appropriate budget information from each entity with cross-linking to
provide easy access between budget materials (completed)
regularly scheduled discussions between local government and school division communication and
budget staff (underway)
both websites and other budget materials will include a blended budget calendar (underway)
will take advantage of opportunities to cross-share information between school and local government
leadership teams (underway)
will invite Parent Council president to attend stakeholders’ budget briefing later this month
(completed)
communications staff will make each other aware of media inquiries and responses (underway)
Possible Next Steps
Pursue additional joint communications opportunities through regular county and school division
events, publications and presentations
Consider a single budget website rather than a duplicated and crosslinked site on both County and
School Division sites
Continued education and information sharing among Supervisors, School Board members, county
and school division staff, parents and community members
Training sessions on School Division operations for Supervisors and community leaders, and training
on County budgeting for School Division staff and stakeholders
Sharing of Performance Management indicators among county and school division.
Streamlined budget materials for School Division and County
Continued Joint Retreats