Take the budget survey! What do you value?

Chapel Hill residents are invited to take an informal survey to rank their 2013-14 budget priorities for the Town of Chapel Hill. The survey will be posted through April 1 at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SGQRRXS.

The survey is being used as part of a priority based budgeting system that aims to better align budget decisions with community values.

The purpose of the unscientific online polling is to gather a sampling of opinions about which budget objectives should be emphasized in the next fiscal year (FY2013-14 Budget Year). Survey results will be shared on the Town website in April and will be provided to Council and Town Manager Roger Stancil during their budget deliberations. The final prioritization of budget objectives will be used in conjunction with the evaluation of budget programs to develop the Manager’s recommended budget. Public input will be an important factor as the Council considers many issues in determining how to assign values to the Town’s programs.

“We hope that residents will use this as another opportunity to express their opinions,” said Ken Pennoyer, director of business management. “The feedback provided is extremely important as we consider changes to meet the needs of our community.”

The survey is divided into two parts. In the first part, you rank the objectives within each of the respective budget goals in the order of importance, with the number 1 being the most important. You do this for each of the six Budget Objectives and their associated objectives. The second part of the survey is a selection of nine of the 25 budget objectives that you believe should be emphasized in the FY2013-14 Budget Year.

Budget Goals for the FY2013-14 Budget Process:

• Strategic, Sustainable and Balance Development – Providing for comprehensive, successful growth and development 
• Safe Community – Providing services to preserve and protect people and property 
• Stewardship of the Natural Environment – Providing services that preserve the natural environment by promoting sustainable practice 
• Inclusive and Socially Thriving Community – Providing leisure, cultural and social opportunities to the entire community 
• Accessible and Connected Community – Provide reliable infrastructure and an effective and connected transportation system 
• Quality Governance & Stewardship of Public Assets – Provide an effective, efficient and sustainable organization

The process of determining how the Chapel Hill community values the services the Town provides began with the Chapel Hill 2020 Community Comprehensive Planning Process. These budget goals represent long-range targets that stem from the Town’s vision. In addition to the six goals, there are 25 budget objectives that represent specific results needed for goal achievement.

“Priority budging is based on the premise that, although everything we do as a Town is important, not everything we do is equally important,” Pennoyer said. “When revenues are not sufficient to fully support all of our services, what we choose to reduce and what we choose to maintain should be based on how services (programs) are valued by the public we serve.”

To review progress on the development of the FY2013-14 Budget Year, see http://www.townofchapelhill.org/budget The Town of Chapel Hill Community Survey is a scientific survey that measures the public’s perception of Town services. Those survey results are posted at www.townofchapelhill.org/survey