Budget & Planning Process
Investing in our future, today:
2023 Strategic Plan & Budget
Description
One goal of this administration is to align our financial resources with the work we want to accomplish. This means that we must understand the priorities of our trustees and residents, articulate those priorities clearly - in the form of a strategic plan - and then align the financial resources of the township - in the form of a budget - to accomplish the priorities. The process for establishing our strategic plan is built around the three-step process for developing a township budget which is dictated by Ohio Revised Code.
Step 1: The Tax Budget - July
Each year in July, the township prepares a Tax budget for the next fiscal year. The purpose of the tax budget is to let the County Budget Commission know that we they will need to collect the voted tax levies for the following year for Colerain Township. The tax budget is a very general financial plan for the operations of the next calendar year. It identifies how much money is expected from local, state, and federal sources, the anticipated carryover fund balances, and how much is needed to carry out governmental functions in the next calendar year. After a public hearing on the Tax Budget, it is submitted to the county budget commission and used to fix property tax rates.
Step 2: Temporary Appropriations – August through December
Once the Tax budget is submitted to the County Budget Commission, the administration begins to organize our strategic priorities for the next year.
The Township started by holding a leadership retreat where Department Directors spent several days together discussing each department’s needs for the up-coming year. It was a time to reflect on the work of the current year and to course-correct if necessary. It allowed the leadership team to revisit the organization’s mission, vision and values.
This year we added an additional level of community engagement in the prioritization and development of initiatives. The Township a Town Hall meeting, where residents were asked to evaluate our proposed goals for 2023 and to provide the Township with a variety of potential initiatives to help accomplish our goals. Concurrent with this Town Hall, the Township issued a community wide survey to residents, looking to gauge alignment between various goals and initiatives for the Township. The Board of Trustees adopted a set of legislative priorities in 2022 via resolution found here: https://www.colerain.org/DocumentCenter/View/3836/RES-106-22----Resolution-Adopting-Legislative-Priorities-for-2023
The community feedback helped to determine the big picture theme and to finalize strategic initiatives. Our highest priority is providing exceptional service within the limitations of our revenue sources. Budget meetings between our administration and department directors lasted through October as we honed in on the dollar amounts necessary to provide the level of service demanded by our residents.
Prior to finalizing the budget, the Township Trustees were invited to individually review the proposed budget with staff and to ask as many questions as possible. The Trustees then formally adopted a set of policy priorities in September. The feedback received from individual Trustees and the policy priorities was then incorporated in the final budget. Staff then began working on the development of the budget book for 2023.
All of this work culminates in the adoption of the Temporary Appropriations at the December Trustee’s meeting. The Temporary Appropriations represents the official budget for 2023 and allows us to legally open purchase orders on January 1st.
Colerain Township leaders are committed to providing a safe, fiscally responsible and innovative place to live, work and grow businesses through proactive collaboration and communication.
Step 3: Final Appropriations – March
Three months into the new year, the township has the opportunity to review how revenues and expenditures are trending and make final adjustments to the Temporary Appropriations. At the March Meeting of the Board of Trustees, they are presented with the Final Appropriations for adoption.
Step 4: Amended Appropriations – throughout the year
Try as we may, it is impossible to see too far into the future. Major projects come up, non-tax revenues like grants come in and it becomes necessary to amend the Final Appropriations.
Budget Calendar
Date Item
6/1/2022 Tax Budget Development by Staff
6/14/2022 Tax Budget Hearing Requested
6/22/2022 Tax Budget Public Notice
6/23/2022 Tax Budget Finalized by Staff
6/28/2022 Tax Budget Public Hearing
6/28/2022 Tax Budget Adopted
8/9/2022 Trustee Discussion on Legislative Priorities
8/15/2022 Strategic Plan Survey Opened
8/18/2022 Leadership Retreat
8/19/2022 Budget Entry Open to Departments
8/23/2022 Town Hall - Strategic Initiatives
8/31/2022 Strategic Plan Survey Closed
9/26/2022 Budget Review with Staff
9/27/2022 Adoption of Legislative Priorities
10/4/2022 Draft Budget Review with Individual Trustees
10/16/2022 Development of Budget Book
11/11/2022 Draft Budget Book Finalization
11/15/2022 Board of Trustees Collective Review of Budget
12/9/2022 Budget Finalized
12/13/2022 Budget Adopted