Budget-plank-Rauterkus

== Sloppy budgets==
* The city's budgets are a sloppy mess. The finances of the city need to be redd up more than anything else. 
* I will work with the oversight board, the Act 47 coordinators, the mayor's office, the city council budget office, outside think tanks, elected officials in other parts of the state, county controller, city controller, school board, school administators, and any other member of the public to unravel, document, publish on the internet, and report upon all aspectes, accounts and issues about the budget. 
* I will insist upon online postings of all budget matters, as they are put to paper.
:The online postings of the budgets have been days and weeks later than they should have been. 
:Changes to the budgets have not been put online at all.
:Budget printouts, in text documents, are helpful, but not nearly as much as a benefit as the associated spreadsheets of the budgets. The budget documents should be posted in a data-driven, open-source way.
:: For example, citizens should be able to see what would happen if the parking tax percentage was increased. Or, if the overall tax incomes shifted, what would be the outcome in the budget.
==Cash on hand for a budget is not a surplus.==
* As a principle, I will always strive to be certain that budgets include some money for rainy-day funds. 
:: It is prudent to have some money set aside for emergency situations.
* Rainy day funds, or emergency set-aside funds, or other cash reserves within budgets need to be documented, monitored, justified, and reported upon with tight scrutiny in an ongoing basis.
==Links==
* Budget
* Taxation
category: Platform_Planks_from_Mark_Rauterkus category: finance
category:plank