BATTLE CREEK (WKZO-AM) — The Battle Creek City Commission has become the second in Michigan to adopt priority-based budgeting to handle their money.
The computer-driven system breaks down city programs and ranks them by cost and public needs, producing a prioritized list of programs.
That data can be used to decide how best to spend the city’s pot of money.
City Manager Rebecca Fleury said it begins with the public helping them to determine what services are the most important.
“We hope the citizens see we want their input throughout the entire process,” Fleury said.
Kalamazoo was first to introduce the system. Fleury said it’s handy to have the city nearby to act as a sounding board.
“It’s been a huge help,” Fleury said. “We’ve been bouncing things off each other.”
Both cities plan to use priority-based budgeting to devise their next budgets.
– John McNeill
