GENERAL BUDGET INFORMATION:

ORS 294.305-294.565 are the statutes governing budgets at the local level. Under the statutes, all local governments are required to prepare and adopt annual or biennial budgets following a very specific process. Local budget law sets standard procedures for preparing, presenting, and using budgets for most of Oregon's local governments. Citizen involvement in the budget process is encouraged and local budget law offers a way for local governments to outline programs and services in a manner that is informational to the public. For more on Local Budget Law go to the Oregon Department of Revenue website.

The City of Hillsboro begins its budget process in November of each year. The 14-member Budget Committee is an advisory group established by Oregon Revised Statute 294.336. The Committee is made up of all 6 City Councilors and the Mayor plus 7 citizens at large. New appointments to the Budget Committee and the Budget Calendar are approved in January at a regularly scheduled City Council Meeting. The City of Hillsboro Budget Committee typically meets twice a year. The first meeting usually takes place in January and is considered the "kick-off" meeting for the budget process. Staff presents the budget calendar and provides the Committee with a financial update and preliminary budget assumptions. The Finance Department works with other City departments between January and April to prepare a proposed budget. The proposed budget is made available to the public and then received by the Budget Committee a week prior to the Budget Committee meeting. The Budget Committee meets sometime in May to have staff present the proposed budget. After the Budget is approved, the Budget Committee's job is done until next year, unless a special meeting with the Committee is deemed necessary.

The past few years, the City Council has adopted the budget at their second regularly scheduled meeting in June. The City has always reserved a special City Council meeting date to allow adoption of the budget later in June to allow for any revisions as a result of last minute information received by staff having a significant impact on the approved budget. The budget is required to be certified with Washington County by July 15^th.