If you live or work in Santa Ana and want to take a stab at the city budget, here’s your chance.
What share of the budget should be spent on police? Should more money go to libraries, parks and recreation? Or what about homeless services, code enforcement and other community services?
City officials invite the public to attend budget meetings in person, respond to a survey and tinker with a unique online budget engagement simulation tool that allows users to take a stab at balancing a $400 million-plus general fund budget.
“Participation from residents, business owners and other stakeholders is essential to our budget planning process,” said city spokesman Paul Eakins. “We want to hear the community’s ideas and priorities for city programs and services so that we can share this feedback with the city council.”
This is the second year that the city is using an online budget simulation tool, which allows users to learn about the budget, provide feedback and submit anonymous comments. Among other things, users can describe new programs they want to see. Another section also allows users to prioritize key projects within a $15 million budget. The tool, as well as a survey, is available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Last year, between the simulation tool, the survey and several community meetings, the city received nearly 1,300 responses. The top two topics community members offered feedback on were homeless services and street and sidewalk improvements. Other top topics were youth services, affordable housing and economic development.
So far, nearly 200 residents and others have participated in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget talks, Eakins said.
The budget survey and simulation tool close on May 15 so that city staff can compile the results and present them to the council during budget discussions, Eakins said. The council is looking to approve the budget before the start of the fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Last year’s $760 million budget…
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