Question 3:

Go to the website of a city or county of your choice and look for documents relating to that unit's budget and finances.Look for the following:

a.Find the chief executives' budget message.What is the tone of that message?What are the major priorities?

b.Find and report the budget timetable and budget instructions.

c.Locate the budget presentation, including any agency narrative and the budget data.Look for the budget year, progress year, and report year.Are any out years provided?Does the budget give other information( e.g., agency request versus council recommendation, etc.)?

Out years are provided, and the budget provides other information, including recommendations.

d.Does the budget give you enough information to allow you to understand what the task of the agencies is?

The budget covers all the areas explicitly and provide adequate information that helps in understanding the task of each agency.

e.What is your overall evaluation of the budget presentation?Does it meet your transparency standard?What information did you not find that you have found useful?

The budget is presented in a clear and succinct way summarizing all the expected areas. All the departments are involved in the budgeting process, and it meets the transparency standards. All the information covered in the document is useful since it highlights all the expenditures per every department. I found the information on public security useful.