2011 Media Releases

Date:

July 12, 2011

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 402-441-7831

Lisa Pytlik Zillig, Public Policy Center, 402-472-5678

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Results of "Taking Charge" Process Now Online

Taking Charge Final Report

The majority of people who participated in the City's "Taking Charge" budget initiative preferred a moderate increase in taxes rather than cuts in services that they value. That is one of the findings of the public participation effort which included an online survey and a Community Conversation discussion. The report from the 2011 Taking Charge initiative is now available on the home page of the City website at lincoln.ne.gov, and at takingcharge.lincoln.ne.gov.

"I want to thank all those who took the time to share their ideas with us," said Mayor Chris Beutler. "About 2,700 people took the survey, and 60 residents participated in our face-to-face discussion. Their input was very important to us as we developed the City budget for next fiscal year." The Mayor's proposed budget and the list of prioritized programs also are available on the City website.

The "Taking Charge" exercise asked participants to make funding decisions on nine current City programs. Other findings of the initiative include the following:

• Libraries and pools are consistently among the highest priority services. The fire station also consistently ranked high.
• Respondents favored maintaining street tree maintenance and a StarTran bus route.
• While a slight majority wanted to keep the Pioneers Park Nature Center and senior volunteer programs, these programs were often ranked lower than other services.
• Most residents are willing to sacrifice non-injury accident investigation services. A slight majority of the online survey respondents were willing to cut funding for economic development.

The Mayor also thanked the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center for its work on "Taking Charge." More information on the Center is available at ppc.unl.edu.