Since my arrival here in Austin, we've been committed to "taking the mystery out" of the City's budget process. Over the past two years, we've made great strides in that effort, with unprecedented access to our budget preparation and planning documents. We've also done our best to provide plenty of ways for you to give us your feedback as we prepare the budget.

While it appears that our local economy is improving, we're certainly not out of the woods when it comes to presenting a balanced budget to City Council for the next fiscal year. As you may remember, the decisions you helped us make last year resulted in permanent reductions to our overall budget. There's still work to be done headed in to 2011 though. Our most recent budget projections show that we could face a deficit of anywhere from $11 million to $28 million in the coming year.

I've charged our leaders with leaving no stone unturned to help close this gap, but the 2011 budget and the tax rate associated with it will require more difficult decisions. That's where you can help. We've created two online voting exercises where you can share your own priorities - both for potential reductions and for areas where we may need to enhance service.

So please take a moment and share your thoughts. At the end of the day, this City budget belongs to all of us. I look forward to your feedback.

Sincerely,

Marc A. Ott