In February 2006 the Board of County Commissioners adopted an official Budget Development and Management Process. This process is composed of four major phases. These phases include planning, implementation, management, and evaluation. The planning phase consists of the development of goals and initiatives to guide decision making with regards to County policy. The implementation phase includes the development and adoption of policies, programs, and plans to achieve goals and implement initiatives. The Management phase involves the execution and maintenance of activities to achieve goals, initiative, and plans developed in the previous stages. Finally, the evaluation phase entails the monitoring of performance versus expectations and making adjustments to previously established goals, initiatives, and plans.
The planning phase of the adopted budget development and management process involves the development of broad goals and initiatives that establish a general direction for Gadsden County government. These initiatives/goals are intended to serve as the basis for development of policies and programs, including the service types and levels that will be provided, and is the basis for the development of the Board’s priority action plan and the five-year operating and capital budget. In February, County staff worked with Board members, Constitutional and Judicial officers, and the County Management team to facilitate the development of goals and initiatives through the implementation of a goal setting exercise. The exercise afforded stakeholders the opportunity to suggest the following:
-
What broad initiatives and goals should the Board adopt;
-
The timeframe in which the adopted initiatives/goals should be completed or achieved; and
-
The prioritization of all adopted initiatives/goals.
As a direct result of the exercise, all of the goals and initiatives that are submitted are categorized into two major classifications. These classifications are Board Priorities and Management Initiatives. Board Priorities consists of those goals and initiatives that have an overall effect on the policy and programs of the County as a whole. Management Initiatives focus more on administrative matters that are internal in nature but still have an effect on the County’s operations in pursuing the implementation of existing policies and programs, as well as new policies and programs established by the Board (Management Initiatives can be viewed at under the County Manager’s webpage).
The 2007/2008 final adopted list of Board Priorities is summarized below. Through collaborative input it was decided that these adopted priorities would share an equal weighting and serve as a “group” of priorities that would guide the decision making process of the Board.
Comprehensive Planning / Physical Environment
Creating a vision for Gadsden County as it relates to growth and associated County policies, programs, and services.
Economic Environment
Services which develop and improve the economic conditions in Gadsden County for citizens.
Human Services
Services to enhance the welfare of Gadsden County citizens
Public Safety
Services provided for the security and safety of citizens and property in Gadsden County.
Transportation
Services that provide for the safe and adequate flow of vehicles, travelers, and pedestrians in Gadsden County
General Government
Services that improve the overall delivery of programs and services through Gadsden County government as a high performance organization.
Culture and Recreation
Services that improve the overall delivery of cultural and recreational programs for the benefit of Gadsden County citizens.
During the months of December 2007, January, February, and March 2008, the Board met to develop specific funding goals under the broader framework of the established Board priorities. As a result of these Board discussions, several goals were funded immediately during the current fiscal year with the use of non-recurring revenue sources. These projects include:
-
· $1.2 million in funding for the construction of two (2) Boys and Girls Club Facilities
-
· $200,000 in funding for the construction of an addition to Supervisor of Elections Building
-
· $1.5 million in funding for additional road paving projects
-
· $500,000 in additional funding for bridge repairs and maintenance
The remaining goals were used by staff as policy guidance in the current development of the tentative FY 2009 thru FY 2013 budget. A complete list of all of the 2009 thru 2013 funding goals can be downloaded here.