The city of Santa Clarita is set to lay the groundwork for its 2020-21 budget, and the public will have a chance to chime in, starting next week.
The process to develop an annual budget takes about six months, typically commencing in January and ending in June with a final vote for adoption by the City Council.
Typically in a round-table discussion, members of the City Council, commissions and city departments receive a presentation from City Manager Ken Striplin on the proposed budget, including the state of the economy and the Santa Clarita 2020 plan.
The public will also have an opportunity to offer comments at the meeting, which is scheduled 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
“This first meeting on Tuesday is the official kickoff of the budget process and an opportunity to review early economic indicators, discuss key issues and priorities facing the community and gather feedback. This is a public meeting and any member of the public is welcome to come, listen and comment,” Striplin said in a statement via email.
Tuesday’s meeting is one of “numerous public meetings to gather feedback from the City Council and the community,” along with analysis and internal meetings to prepare a balanced budget, Striplin added.
Over the past recent years, Santa Clarita has presented a stable budget with indications that the city is “continuing to thrive with growth in development, construction, film and tourism,” according to the 2019-20 budget.
The current budget totaled $225.9 million, which represented an overall increase of 11.3% over the 2018-19 budget.
This year, Santa Clarita will reach the end of its 2020 plan, which is organized around six themes, including public safety, building and creating community, and sustaining public infrastructure. Striplin is expected to offer a proposed breakdown of how much is allocated per category, which in the last budget covered for projects like $2.5 million for traffic circulation and $1.5 million for the Central Park buildout.
