Behind the Budget: How BCVWD Builds Its Annual Spending Plan

Developing an annual budget involves much more than putting numbers into a spreadsheet. Before a proposed budget reaches the BCVWD Board of Directors, staff throughout the District spend months identifying needs, reviewing expenses, projecting revenues and evaluating priorities for the year ahead.

The process begins at the department level. Staff review current spending, anticipated needs, contracts, programs and other costs necessary to continue providing reliable water service. Departments also identify potential changes for the coming year and work with Finance to determine how those needs fit into the District’s overall financial plan.

At the same time, Finance reviews revenue projections and current-year spending trends and works with departments to evaluate their budget requests. Capital planning is coordinated with Engineering, Operations, and Information Technology and Cybersecurity to consider project schedules, estimated costs, available funding and the District’s ability to support infrastructure investments over the long term.

All of those pieces eventually have to come together

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Identify Needs à Review & Analyze à Project Revenues & Expenses à Evaluate Priorities à Balance the Budget à Public Review

The goal is to develop a budget that supports reliable service and necessary infrastructure while using District resources responsibly.

“Developing the budget is an important part of how the District plans for both current services and future needs,” stated BCVWD Board Member and Finance and Audit Committee Chair David Hoffman. “The review process gives staff and the Board an opportunity to carefully evaluate priorities, ask questions and make sure we are being responsible with the resources entrusted to the District.”

October is an important point in that process as the individual pieces begin coming together into a complete proposed budget.

Learn more about BCVWD’s finances, budgets and public meetings at https://bcvwd.gov.

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