Open and transparent budget governance is a value held by many governments regardless of their size. While it is often the federal and provincial legislatures or largest municipalities that draw attention in the press for releasing financial information to the public, it is important to recognize the efforts of small towns and cities across the country. Indeed, the average Canadian municipality has under 10,000 residents! That’s why we’ve recently changed our pricing structure for Citizen Budget, our customizable online budget simulator.
Citizen Budget helps municipalities engage residents by encouraging them to indicate their budget preferences through an engaging, interactive interface. Residents can increase or decrease budgets for specific activities, vote on capital investments, suggest new revenues and more. The financial impact of their budget choices is communicated in real-time, giving residents a better understanding of the trade-offs public administrators must face to create a balanced budget. Citizen Budget has been used in Montreal, Toronto, and Langley, BC among others.
This consultation tool is now available starting at $1750 for municipalities with fewer than 25,000 residents. This entry-level pricing includes basic customization and feedback on questions to prepare any municipality for an engaging, effective and meaningful consultation.
If you have any questions about how to get started with Citizen Budget, do not hesitate to contact us at info@opennorth.ca. We also have some great resources on this blog about choosing good questions and performing effective outreach to residents. We look forward to meeting more municipal administrators and officials at the FCM Annual Conference Trade Show in Vancouver May 31st and June 1st, where we will answer any questions and demonstrate the tool.