October 23, 2014
Larry D. Burks, MPA, CED
Bellevue Assistant City Administrator
In less one week, the City of Bellevue, Nebraska
created and implemented a Priority Based
Budget (PBB) survey for under $200.
What methods did they use and how did they
manage to gain over 800 survey replies?
International City/County Managers Association
(ICMA) has identified priority-based budgeting as
a leading practice for local governments.
PBB can help your community re-assess its
priorities in order to make sound, long-term
funding decisions that result in good fiscal health
and achieved objectives.
Emphasizes citizen feedback to help set priorities.
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Step 1: Build a question list.
What do you want to know?
Step 2: Customize the survey.
How do you want to ask for what you want to know?
Step 3: Distribute the survey.
Who do you want to target for the survey?
How do you get the survey to the targets?
Step 4: Analyze survey results.
How are the results going to be calculated?
Who is going to see the results?
How are the results going to be presented?
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“Wheel” review . . .
◦ Los Angles, CA
◦ Lincoln, NE
◦ Others
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Survey be clear, understandable and
measureable
Survey measure the objectives and priorities
of the city council and departments
Survey accommodate diverse views and
incorporate all opinions
Survey produce definable results
Survey take less than 10 minutes to complete
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Simple prioritization of departments
numerically
Willingness to pay for service delivery
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Less for a lot less
Same for less
More for same
More for more
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Question #5: If services are left at
current level, the city will face a budget
shortfall…
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Essential
Important
Nice to Have
Not Important
No Opinion
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Question #12: Prioritize the budget for
economic and community development
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Question #24: Prioritize the budget for
the Recreation Department
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Zip Code
Relationship to the city
Length of residency
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Bellevue.net
◦ Updates and countdown announcements
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Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Others
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848 online responses
25 paper responses
284 pages with comments
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Online survey $180
Project intern
Staff time
Paper
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Phil Davidson,
Public Relations
Director
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Abby Highland,
CDBG Specialist
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Mike Meyers, UNO
Grad Student Intern
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Bellevue
Department
Directors
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Questions?
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