Bob's Update - September 21, 2009
On September 16th we reached a major milestone in the budget process with the presentation of the 2010/2011 budget recommendations. We celebrate this milestone, while acknowledging that there is more work to be done.
I
was pleased with the
Board of Commissioners' reaction to the 2010/2011 budget
recommendations - they were appreciative of all the work that had been
done by the entire organization. They also understood that the
recommendations centered on saving jobs and saving programs and this was
important to the Board and to each person involved in the budget
process.
Wednesday's Ways and Means meeting was standing room only - one after one board members and consumers of our local nonprofit agencies shared their stories and expressed their concern about Human Services in Washtenaw County. It's comforting to know that there are so many people in the community that care about what we do and how the 2010/2011 budget recommendations impact funding for those agencies.
- Remaining Elements of 2010/11 Budget Process: Over the
next two months the Board will be deliberating on the 2010/2011 budget
where they will thoroughly review each recommendation in the proposed
2010/2011 budget. Commissioners also hope to hear from the community at a
public hearing on October 22nd where citizens are encouraged to share their
comments, concerns and suggestions regarding the budget.
-
"Bob's Update" is a weekly message to Washtenaw County employees from County Administrator Bob Guenzel. eWashtenaw publishes these columns when they are deemed timely and useful to the wider community. Please contact Administrator Guenzel with your comments.
- What to expect in 2010: This is an ongoing process that doesn't look like it will get easier for the next few years. While the 2010/2011 budget addresses our projected deficit we must realize that the projections for 2012/2013 aren't much better. Next year will be a planning year - we need to consider further collaboration, additional structural changes and evaluate everything to find more effective ways to do business, and to make sure we are doing the right things.
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed. Please remember you can get
in touch with me anytime by email.
Bob
