Saturday, October 2, 2010

PRELIMINARY BUDGET RESPONSE

October 16 is the deadine for the Mayor to submit to the City Council the Proposed Development Plan and Budget for the year 2011. From the receipt of said proposals, the City Council shall begin to review these two most important documents, exercising its oversight function and power over the purse. For several years now, the Legislative Council has been at odds with the Executive Branch when it comes to budget review. While the Council wants to assert its proposals on how budgetary allocations for the operations of the local government be done, the Executive Department remains cold to the Council's counter-proposals.

I have thought of proposing a PRELIMINARY BUDGET REPONSE as a method to address the issue. Patterned after the New York City Council, this aims to ensure that the Budget reflects the needs, priorities and aspirations of the people. The Council shall conduct an in-depth review of all city departmments, their policies, their programs and their expenses. At the end of the budget hearings, the Council shall submit to the Mayor a Preliminary Budget Response, which defines the legislature's budgetary priorities and the changes it would like to see in the budget. The Mayor then submits a revised Executive Budget for the final review of the City Council.

The Preliminary Budget Response will strengthen the balance of power betwen the Executive and Legislative branches in the City of Vigan. Check and Balance is a necessary ingredient in a truly democratic society. Moreover, a performance-based City Budget shall be enacted. Is this not an innovation in governance?



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