Continuing to focus on policy prescriptions for Milford, Genevieve announced today her intention to pursue a zero-based budgeting process in City Hall. This is the second major policy announcement in as many weeks. Together, the Milford Reuse Exchange and the Zero-Based Budget represent significant initiatives she plans to undertake in her first 100 days in office.

Full press release below:

GENEVIEVE SALVATORE UNVEILS PLAN FOR CITY BUDGET
Announces Intention to Pursue Zero-Based Budgeting Strategy

October 13, 2009

MILFORD - Democratic mayoral candidate Genevieve Salvatore announced her plans for a new city budgeting process today. She will be available to the media to take questions tomorrow – Wednesday, October 14, 2009 – at 1 PM in front of the Parsons Government Center.

Salvatore, currently the Chairwoman of the Milford Economic Development Commission, announced her intention to implement a zero-based budgeting process if elected.

STATEMENT FROM GENEVIEVE SALVATORE:

“This past budget season, city departments (excepting the Board of Education) submitted budgets requesting a 21% increase. This is actually pretty consistent with what they have submitted in recent years, and it reflects a lack of management direction. I propose implementing a zero-based approach.

Zero-based budgeting is a process that moves away from the traditional, incremental approach to funding requests. Instead of assuming that a department’s previous funding level was justified and debating how much of an increase to approve, a zero-based budget begins the process for each department at $0, with money allocated as it is justified.

This process provides an efficient way of allocating resources, and encourages creative problem-solving.

Zero-based budgeting can save us money as it forces the examination and evaluation of programs that might have otherwise been automatically funded. When department heads are tasked with justifying every dollar they request, inefficiencies become more obvious.

My plan will:
• Challenge departments to re-think the way they provide services to the city.
• Trust managers to know best ways to provide these services.
• Expect budgets to reflect the 'best practices' in the public sector, which invariably will mean lower cost.

The Board of Aldermen has been the lone force for fiscal sanity in Milford. The Democratic Aldermen did a great job of going through the budget line by line to make cuts where practical. As Mayor, I will make this process easier for them by making city departments conform to a zero-based budget. I will submit a budget that I can stand behind.”

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Management Consultant Michael V. Brown, an adviser to the Salvatore campaign, noted that Mayor Richetelli’s most recent budget was an example of fiscal mismanagement.

“This mayor proposed $6 million in new spending - and the higher taxes that would result - during the worst economic environment since the Great Depression.” Brown said. “Genevieve’s plan for the city budget is a common-sense measure that should have been implemented years ago. As a management consultant, I advise all companies I work with to implement a zero-based budget.”

Mayor Richetelli’s budget – with a 6.75% increase – was introduced in February of 2009. At the time, he was quoted saying “Can there be cuts? Yes, and there certainly will be.”

“The mayor and the department heads are paid to, among other things, craft a budget,” Salvatore said. “I will take my job seriously, and I will not outsource all of the hard work to the volunteers on the Board of Aldermen.”

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For more information on Zero base budgeting, visit http://www.scribd.com/doc/17276134/Zero-Base-Budgeting