Should your city be spending more or less on parks? How about libraries? Police?
These are the types of questions city leaders across Orange County will address this month as they work to adopt their 2014 fiscal year budgets, which residents can directly affect by speaking up at upcoming study sessions and hearings.
As the budget season kicks into high gear this month, we’ll be keeping an eye on the priorities established across our region. We’ve also compiled links to all of the available proposed budgets to help interested residents get into the game.
Budgets are some of the most important documents passed by city councils. They serve as a master spending plan for every city expense from new park space to police salaries to traffic lights.
Many cities hold budget workshops, which give residents a chance to comment on the plans. In most cities, speakers get three minutes each to provide their opinions to council members.
The fiscal year starts July 1 in most cities in Orange County; Huntington Beach operates on an October to September schedule.
Together, the city budgets are expected to amount to several billion dollars in public funds.
Find an interesting spending choice or trend in one of these budgets? Leave a comment below or send us an email.
Aliso Viejo
Anaheim
Brea
- FY 14 Proposed Operating Budget
- FY14 Proposed Capital Improvement Program
- FY14 Successor Agency Budget
- FY14 Brea Public Financing Authority Budget
- FY14 Midbury Assessment Authority Budget
Buena Park
Costa Mesa
Cypress
- FY14 Proposed Budget not yet available.
- FY13 Adopted Budget
Dana Point
Fountain Valley
- FY14 Proposed Budget not available on the city’s website until late June.
- FY13 Adopted Budget — General Fund
- FY13 Adopted Budget — Other Funds
- FY13 Adopted Budget — Capital Improvement Program
Fullerton
Garden Grove
- FY14 Proposed Budget will be available June 20, according to city staff.
- FY13 Adopted Budget
Huntington Beach
- FY14 Proposed Budget typically not released until later in summer.
- FY13 Adopted Budget
Irvine
La Habra
- FY14 Proposed Budget document won’t be online until after it’s approved by the City Council, according to city staff.
- Presentation – FY14 Proposed Budget
La Palma
Laguna Beach
Laguna Hills
- FY14 Proposed Budget not yet available.
- FY13 Adopted Budget
- FY13 Adopted Budget — Capital Improvement Program
Laguna Niguel
Laguna Woods
Lake Forest
Los Alamitos
Mission Viejo
Newport Beach
Orange
- FY14 Proposed Budget not available until later in June.
- FY13 Adopted Budget
Placentia
- FY14 Draft Preliminary Budget — Part 1
- FY14 Draft Preliminary Budget — Part 2
- FY14 – Draft Preliminary Capital Improvement Program
Rancho Santa Margarita
- FY14 Proposed Budget will be available online on Friday, according to city staff.
- Presentation — FY14 Initial Budget
- Presentation — FY14 Proposed Capital Improvement Program
San Clemente
San Juan Capistrano
Santa Ana
Seal Beach
Stanton
Tustin
- FY14 Proposed Budget not available until later this week.
- FY13 Adopted Budget
- FY13 Adopted Capital Improvement Program
Villa Park
- FY14 Proposed Budget will be available Wednesday, according to city staff.
- FY13 Final Budget
Westminster
Yorba Linda
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.