The Finance Department will provide information regarding planned financial activities to set context for upcoming 2019-2020 biennial budget decisions. Areas of focus for the briefing include:

• Financial Policies - City Council consideration and approval of the City's financial policies is the first step in the biennial budget process.  These policies provide the framework for City financial planning and management. This discussion is scheduled for March.
• Biennial Budget Development - Through the financial policies and guidance provided through work plan discussions, the Council provides policy direction used to prepare the City's biennial budget, which is a two-year financial plan for programs and services. Staff will present a proposed budget to the Council at the end of September.  The Council must adopt a budget before the end of the calendar year.
• Priority Based Budgeting (PBB) - The City has used a Priority-Based Budgeting approach since 2014. There are two aspects to this approach, the Fiscal Health model and the Resources Alignment Diagnostic Tool. The analysis produced through PBB compares City programs and services to established City goals, and is used as an input and reference in budget decisions.