Over the next few weeks, the city and parish councils will debate the administration’s proposed budget. What comes out on the other side is a roadmap to LCG’s operational plan.
As columnist Geoff Daily likes to say, the budget is a beast, much more than any one person can tackle on their own. Its hundreds of pages compile hundreds of millions of dollars in big decisions.
Understanding what the budget says isn’t always easy. The language of accounting is tricky and unfamiliar even for seasoned journalists and elected officials. The Current’s budget guru Geoff Daily is here to help.
Use the Q&A tool at the bottom of this page to ask him questions about the budget. (You’ll have to register with an email to ask questions.) He’ll answer them on an ongoing basis and pop in every Wednesday at 3 p.m. for office hours.
Keep up with the process along the way. Below is the schedule for upcoming budget meetings:
- Budget Overview July 28, 1 p.m.
- LUS, LUS Fiber July 30, 9 a.m.
- Police, Fire, Cajundome July 30, 1 p.m.
- Parks, Community Development, Planning, City Marshal, City Court, Administration August 6, 1 p.m.
- Corrections, Registrar of Voters, Assessor, Library, District Court, District Attorney, Public Health and more August 13, 9 a.m.
- Drainage, Public Works, Roads August 13, 1 p.m.
- Public Hearing August 18, 5:30 p.m.
- Wrap-up August 27, 1 p.m.
- Final Adoption September 10, 5:30 p.m.