The sigh of almost incomprehensible relief, underpinned by flashes of chest-beating, that volleyed across the community this morning formed an unmistakable sign that City Hall’s annual budget hearings had reached a successful conclusion, or at least had finished.
Across a hefty 6½ hours, mainly of departmental testimony, fiscal and conceptual plans were laid out in sometimes complex detail for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Community interest in the perspiration-free process had peaked in Monday’s opening round. Four members of the public semi-flooded Council Chambers, choosing from 150 seats.
Interest declined by at least 50 percent for yesterday’s 4 o’clock mop-up session when one of the two audience members shoehorned himself into Council Chambers shortly before the lights were dimmed.
While there probably is unanimity in noting that publicly detailing every City Hall department’s budgetary plans for the new year is a civic obligation, the level of community appreciation and remote curiosity lies somewhere south of zero percent.
Have the budget hearings become too yesterday?
A member of the City Council recently was asked:
If you took ill and were forced to miss one night of the budget hearings, would you solicit a colleague the next day to update you on the proceedings?
Unapologetically, the crisp response was “No.”
In Los Angeles, we have the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, an elected team of 36 neighborhood council members who scour the budget proposals, make recommendations, and report back to City Council. We hand in the “White paper” (Can be viewed at http://www.ncbala.com) and get a written response from the CAO. A very engaging process and what has turned out to be a very valuable process for the City. (And it promotes citizen engagement).
Remember, budget isn’t sexy, but everything that happens, or doesn’t happen, in the city all comes back to budget.