Ears will be open for suggestions as St. Petersburg leaders begin to craft a new city budget.
The FY16 Budget Listening Tour concludes this evening at 6 p.m. It is the last of three formal and guided opportunities to learn how city leaders determine St. Petersburg’s annual spending plan.
All of St. Pete City Council, as well as the public, is invited to the event at Willis S. Johns Recreation Center, at 6635 Dr. M. L. King, Jr. Street North. Lawmakers in attendance will be available to answer questions from the public.
During the tour, as was with both prior visits, citizens will have a chance to share their city-related priorities with Mayor Rick Kriseman and City Council members.
Everyone at the event will also get acquainted with St. Pete OpenGov, which the city’s website (stpete.org) calls “an interactive tool that allows the public to explore the city budget and other financial data through graphs and charts.”
As of now, citizens can review past city budget data from the fiscal year 2011 to the present. After the OpenGov presentation, each audience member will have an opportunity for three minutes to share city-related ideas and opinions with the City Council, who will then respond to each speaker.
Mayor Kriseman is on track to deliver his FY16 budget recommendations to Council in July. Council, in turn, is expected to consider the final FY16 budget and tax rate for approval in September.
For information on the FY 2016 Budget Listening Tour, or to learn more about St. Pete OpenGov, visit www.stpete.org/budget.
