San Diego City Council members Chris Cate and Scott Sherman called on Mayor Kevin Faulconer Thursday to test zero-based budgeting in one city department for the 2017 fiscal year.
As opposed to traditional budgeting practices, a zero-base approach requires justification of all expenses, not just any increases. The department targeted would have to evaluate all programs planned for the upcoming year and determine the costs necessary to support them.
“Zero-base budgeting is a data-driven solution which will galvanize the efficiency and effectiveness of city services. This common sense budgeting approach encourages a transparent process for how we spend taxpayer dollars,” said Cate. “We hope that a zero-base budgeting pilot program will be implemented as early as fall of this calendar year.”
The 2017 fiscal year begins July 1, 2016, but the city’s budgeting process starts as long as a year ahead, or in mid 2015.
“This is a common sense solution that forces city departments to account for every dollar which puts taxpayers first,” said Sherman.
Before winning the election to represent the 6th District, Cate was vice president of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, which has long advocated for greater efficiency in local government.