As Pinellas County begins a new budget season tomorrow, the Board of County Commissioners wants to make sure citizens understand the process and have an opportunity to get involved. They can visit a new, user-friendly website, participate in a focus group or come to listen in and offer feedback at one of nine budget sessions during the next two months.
"The budget process can be complex and difficult for people to understand, but it doesn't have to be. We want to give our citizens a clear picture of how the county budget works and where their tax dollars are going," said Commission Chairman Ronnie Duncan.
Citizens can visit the new website at www.pinellascounty.org/budget where they can find answers to frequently asked questions or submit a question to County Administrator Steve Spratt. Citizens can also watch budget meetings on Pinellas 18, on the web with Live Streaming Video, review past budgets and sign up for a budget e-newsletter.
During the nine budget sessions, citizens can hear individual presentations from every department and entity funded by the county budget. Commissioners will hold three evening meetings designed for citizens to offer feedback during the process. Commissioners encourage residents to participate in the process well before the budget is finalized.
The budget recap meetings are scheduled for the following times:
Thursday, April 19, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 7, 6:30 p.m.
