{"id":2257798,"date":"2024-06-02T09:34:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-02T13:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spokane-proposes-shift-to-biennial-budget\/"},"modified":"2024-06-02T09:39:57","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T13:39:57","slug":"spokane-proposes-shift-to-biennial-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spokane-proposes-shift-to-biennial-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Spokane suggests changing to a biennial budget system"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fspokane-proposes-shift-to-biennial-budget%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2257798&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Spokane is contemplating a\u2064 shift\u2062 to a biennial budget system under Mayor Lisa Brown&#8217;s proposal. This change \u200caims to address a $50 million structural deficit, a priority\u2063 since Brown took office. The new model\u2063 allows for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-hires-advisers-to-polish-her-image-reports\/\" title=\"Kamala Hires Advisers To Polish Her Image: Reports\">long-term planning<\/a> and public engagement, enhancing financial \u2062accountability and\u200b sustainability. Supporters believe it streamlines decision-making, while critics argue it restricts flexibility.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2013 Spokane is considering shifting its budget approach toward a two-year model after Mayor Lisa Brown announced a proposal on Thursday that would start the biennial process next year.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed change coincides with an approximately $50 million structural deficit that Brown has emphasized as one of her key priorities since taking office in January of this year.<\/p>\n<p>Under a biennial model, Spokane\u2019s Finance Department would map out the city\u2019s expenditures for two years rather than advancing an annual budget. In her announcement, Brown said this step is one of many in restoring the city\u2019s financial health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTransparency and accountability are at the heart of our new budgeting structure,\u201d Brown said. \u201cA biennial budget allows more time for public review and input, which will enhance community engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The move could allow the city to focus on long-term planning if it strategically balances its resources over the biennial cycle; in addition, Brown said the process garners longer projections based on investments and takes an administrative burden off city personnel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBiennial budgeting allows for better decision making and provides greater financial accountability, which will help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/barry-w-poulson-proposing-a-fiscal-responsibility-amendment\/\" title=\"Barry W. Poulson: Proposing a Fiscal Responsibility Amendment\">restore fiscal stability<\/a> and achieve long-term financial sustainability,\u201d said Matt Boston, the city\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tokyo-olympics-set-to-go-on-regardless-of-covid-19-pandemic\/\" title=\"Tokyo Olympics Set To Go On \u2018Regardless\u2019 Of COVID-19 Pandemic\">chief financial officer<\/a>, in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of biennial budgeting say the process limits opportunities to adjust for annual fluctuations; however, Councilmember Michael Cathcart said that\u2019s not a problem in this case.<\/p>\n<p>Part of the goal of a biennial budget is to look ahead to ensure that it\u2019s balanced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brian-kolfage-one-florida-school-combated-covid-by-going-back-to-normal-as-a-result-the-children-and-teachers-are-safe-and-happy\/\" title=\"Brian Kolfage: One Florida School Combated COVID By Going Back to Normal \u2013 As a Result the Children and Teachers Are Safe and Happy\">long term<\/a>, but Cathcart said there are still checkpoints along the way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom my understanding, we\u2019re not going to get rid of mid-year reviews or the quarterly [special budget ordinance] system,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can even do a full supplemental budget the following year if we really feel it\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cathcart, chair of the Finance and Administration Committee, has advocated for a shift toward a biennial budget structure for the past few years. Having previously worked in the state Legislature, he saw firsthand how the model forces people to plan for the long term.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Cathcart tried to advance an ordinance that could have led to Spokane adopting the biennial process, according to The Spokesman-Review; but pushback from the prior administration changed its course.<\/p>\n<p>Cathcart said he met with the new administration earlier this year to discuss moving toward a biennial model, which is one reason he was stunned to hear Brown\u2019s announcement on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite Cathcart\u2019s years of advocating for a shift on the dias and in budget meetings, he said Brown\u2019s administration failed to collaborate with him on the initiative outside of baseline conversations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey say if you can\u2019t beat them, collaborate with them, and if collaboration isn\u2019t your style, just rebrand their ideas as your own,\u201d Cathcart said. \u201cAt the end of the day, I\u2019m just glad to see the Mayor\u2019s finally on board with the budgeting option that I\u2019ve been advocating for. I mean, I guess the only real credit I need is that we get to a priority budget that balances and is sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spokane may adopt a biennial budget system following Mayor Lisa Brown&#8217;s proposal to switch to a two-year model starting next year. The move aligns with addressing a $50 million structural deficit, a top priority for Brown since assuming office<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2257799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1058269468-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2257798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1058269468-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2257798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2257798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2257798\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2257799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2257798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2257798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2257798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}