Recommendation 20240916-006 Subject: Budget Reporting — original pdf

Recommendation

BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS RECOMMENDATION NUMBER (20240916-006) Budget Reporting WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions are tasked with making annual budget recommendations to City Council; and WHEREAS, there is currently not a central, easily accessible, publicly available repository for board and commission budget recommendations; and WHEREAS, there is currently not a central, easily accessible, publicly available way to track the status of board and commission recommendations within a fiscal year, or year over year; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions serve as a liaison between city government and community members, using community guidance to inform council budget recommendations, and council budget decisions to educate community members on council priorities; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions experience term limits, transitions in leadership as well as membership, and changing priorities, all of which lead to a loss in institutional knowledge; and WHEREAS, Austin is the state capital, home of the state’s legislature, many of the legislature’s staff, and local as well as state policy advocates; and WHEREAS, it is reasonable that our city has the talent, skills, and resources necessary to develop a board and commission recommendation budget tracker. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Commission on Immigrant affairs recommends funding and staffing to create a digital, user friendly, publicly available board and commission budget recommendation tracker. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this digital tracker can be as simple as a regularly updated excel spreadsheet on the board and commission’s website, or as robust as the Texas Legislature Online Bill Lookup website dependent on available funding and staff capacity. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this digital tracker will be a resource for budget recommendations for each fiscal year, starting with the FY2024 budget cycle.  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this digital tracker will provide a brief summary of each recommendation with a link to the full recommendation, status update of where in the budget processes it is (submitted, under review by council, etc.), and a final outcome (accepted, rejected, modified, etc.), including any revised versions of the original recommendation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this digital tracker will be a tool to increase transparency and engagement in the budget process amongst boards and commissions, city council, and the communities across Austin, furthering a shared goal of government that works for all. Date of Approval: ____9/16/2024_________________________ Motioned by: Commissioner Victor Martinez Seconded By: Commissioner Aditi Joshi For: Chair Ortega Vice Chair Dorantes Commissioner Joshi Commissioner Martinez Commissioner De La Rosa Commissioner Padmanabha Commissioner Kaba Against: None Abstain: None Absent: Commissioners Luis Osta Lugo and Kevin Countie Attest: _______Gunjen Mittal_____ (Staff Liaison: Gunjen Mittal)