Budget
Overview
The City of Montrose budgets on an annual basis for a fiscal year that begins January 1. The City Charter (Article V, Finance, Appropriations and Taxation) outlines the basic budget procedure that is used to create, approve, and implement the City’s annual budget.
Budget Development Process
The city manager is required to prepare a recommended annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year and provide it to the City Council on or before September 15.
The budget development process begins in early summer with each department preparing a preliminary budget estimate based on an analysis of its operational needs for the coming year. Departmental budget estimates are carefully reviewed and adjusted by the City Manager and are then combined into a draft budget for the entire city organization. The draft budget is then provided to the City Council for review. Two public hearings are held in October to approve the budget and an appropriating ordinance.
Public Participation
A Citizens Budget Advisory Committee was organized as a new avenue for community involvement in the City’s 2013 budget development process. The city manager and finance director met with the advisory
committee to share information and discuss their input and ideas.
Advisory committee members and the public were also invited to attend a series of six budget planning sessions that were held in August. Input received at these meetings helped shape the final proposed budget that was presented to the City Council on September 15.
The public was also invited to submit specific questions online and review the budget materials shown below.