City Budget Transparency Project

The Faribault City council agree to participate in a Budget Transparency Project.

The Faribault Chamber has formed Citizen Budget Committee to review the City Budget.

Accountable local government requires citizen confidence in understanding property tax as the most important source of local government revenue. It is essential that taxpayers are able to cut through the confusion, bewilderment, claims surrounding reasons for property tax increases and to make informed judgments about whether local governments are using tax dollars efficiently and wisely.

The City of Faribault has, for many years, approached their finances in a proactive manner. City staff and Council have made significant cost reductions in anticipation of declining local government aid (LGA) from the State.

The Chamber formed a Citizen Budget Committee (CBC) which will review city spending not just by functional area (as is traditional) but also by expenditure type. Such information would generate critical perspective on the cost structures and trends shaping local government spending.

The outcomes of the demonstration project will be determined by what the Citizens Budget Committee discovers as they better understand the city budget and what they recommend as a result.

The Budget Transparency Project is supported by the MN Taxpayers Association and the NAIOP.

NAIOP Minnesota, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP Minnesota will act as the overall coordinator of the project.

The Minnesota Taxpayers Association (MTA) was founded in 1926 to serve as an independent voice for efficient, accountable government and sound tax policy. Through its non-partisan, high-quality research studies and public education efforts, MTA strives to improve the quality of public debate about government policies and programs. MTA will reconfigure the City’s budget in a property tax tool format and provide budget analysis training and guidance to the CBC.

Members of the Citizens Budget Committee are: