Fiscal 2017 Budget Forum Webinars

The Shumlin Administration will hold two public budget forums via webinar on Monday, November 23, 2015.

For details about how to participate, go to: http://finance.vermont.gov/Event/publicbudgetforums. Citizens can also weigh in on the budget process through an online survey. These are new strategies for gathering public input and we hope they will allow more Vermonters to participate.

Legislation passed in 2012 required that the administration “develop a process for public participation in the development of budget goals, as well as general prioritization and evaluation of spending and revenue initiatives.” Public input before the start of the legislative session can be an important part of the budget process. This is when the governor is putting together his budget recommendations.

People need to weigh in with the Legislature, too, once the governor has made his budget recommendations to the Legislature in January. But since the Legislature doesn’t typically change the governor’s budget recommendation much, the governor’s recommendation really sets the state’s fiscal priorities. That’s why it’s important for Vermonters to speak up is before the governor makes his decisions.

We encourage all Vermonters to participate in the budget process. There are a number of questions that can help us better understand the choices we’re making, such as:

• How will the administration’s budget proposal improve the “economic well-being” of Vermonters as it is required to do in statute?
• What are the current needs of Vermonters for state services?
• What is the gap between what agencies actually need to provide the services the state is currently committed to provide and current funding?
• In their reports to the administration, what did agencies indicate would be the impact of a level-funded budget on services in fiscal 2017?
• What has been the cumulative impact of budget reductions on state services over the past 10 years?

If the administration publicly addressed these questions and others that you may have, it would make the budget conversation much more meaningful to Vermonters.