District breakdowns
DISTRICT 1Hixson 1Lookout ValleyMoccasin BendMountain CreekNorthwoods 2DISTRICT 2Lupton CityNorth ChattanoogaNorthgateRiverviewStuart HeightsDISTRICT 3DuPontHixson 2, 3Murray HillsNorthwoods 1DISTRICT 4Concord 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9East BrainerdSummit 4DISTRICT 5DalewoodBonny OaksEastgateKingspointLake HillsWoodmoreDISTRICT 6AirportBrainerdBrainerd HillsConcord 1, 3, 6HarrisonOoltewahSummit 1TynerDISTRICT 7Alton ParkDowntownEast LakeSt. ElmoDISTRICT 8AmnicolaAvondaleBushtownCourthouseEastsideDISTRICT 9East ChattanoogaEastdaleGlenwoodMissionary RidgeRidgedale
Local residents once again have a chance to let Chattanooga officials know how they want their taxpayer dollars to be spent. This week, city planners are hosting several public input sessions to help shape the 2020 city budget that will take effect July 1, 2019.
The meeting for residents of districts 7, 8 and 9 is Wednesday, Nov. 14 at First Centenary United Methodist Church – Oak Street Center. Citizens living in districts 1, 2 and 3 can share their opinions Thursday, Nov. 15 at the Hixson Youth and Family Development Center. And residents of districts 4, 5 and 6 are invited to the Family Justice Center Monday, Nov. 19 from 5:30-7 p.m.
Sessions run from 5:30-7 p.m.
The meetings are part of Mayor Andy Berke’s “Budgeting for Outcomes” process, which examines how Chattanoogans want their city to work, then focuses spending in those areas.
The process requires city departments to make the case for spending on specific programs, with metrics to judge whether they achieve their desired goals in five focus areas: smarter students and stronger families, stronger neighborhoods, growing economy, safer streets and high-performing government.
Though the method has been a staple of Berke’s administration since he took office in 2013, last year was the first time public meetings were incorporated into the procedure, giving citizens a more direct role in the process.
“One thing that we heard during last year’s process from [city officials] is that they really loved attending the sessions and listening to people, because they felt like they were able to make an offer that better served the people they were trying to serve,” said Tyler Yount, director of special projects for Berke’s office.
For example, Yount elaborated, feedback from last year’s input sessions paved the way for the $1 million Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund added to the 2019 fiscal budget this summer. The new fund will be used for small capital investments that improve the look and feel of a community, such as sidewalks, street lighting or park benches, among others.
During last year’s input sessions, citizens also expressed a desire for more vocational training to help open the door to higher paying jobs. In response, the city has seen more dollars funneled toward its fairly new Office of Workforce Development, helping to kickstart initiatives such as the Workforce Outreach program, which works with community partners to assess skills and match people to jobs, as well as a new tech program that provides coding and development instruction for those who might not otherwise have access to that training.
“We really want to hear people’s voices and ideas, and we’re ready to make them happen,” Yount said.
This year’s input sessions will allow more time for feedback and include results maps from last year to allow attendees to see the impact of their input, build on previous suggestions, re-emphasize priorities they like or shift the priority to other urgent matters that might not have climbed to the top of the list last time around.
The next step in the process will be accepting proposals, called “offers,” from city administrators and departments in order to develop strategies to address the priorities listed by citizens. A results team of select experts who represent both the administration and the public will then evaluate and rank the offers to help develop a final budget proposal for fiscal year 2020.
To RSVP for an input session, visit tinyurl.com/BFO2020. First Centenary is at 418 Oak St. downtown. Hixson YFD is at 5400 School Drive. The Family Justice Center is at 5705 Uptain Road near Eastgate Town Center.
Staff writer Judy Walton contributed to this report.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com