Our Budget Matters

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

In the face of a budget deficit of $110 million, Hillsborough County Florida provided a greatly enhanced public information and public input program for Fiscal Year 2010-2011. Entitled “Our Budget Matters,” the Communications team comprehensively overhauled existing communication tools and strategies, resulting in a public comment increase of more than 1000 percent. Elements of this overhaul included a virtual town hall that allowed citizens to interact with their government through e-mail, phone, YouTube video postings and on-site Town Hall meetings. Meetings were not only broadcast live online, but were also offered for Internet rebroadcast at a time more convenient for other viewers. To publicize the initiative, the county utilized various e-mail listservs such as the Neighborhood Relations’ and homeowners’ association groups. In addition, notices were sent out along with 125,000 county water bills. This publicity led to a successful outcome for the Our Budget Matters program. Before this program, town hall meetings would typically attract around 250 residents. As a result of the virtual town hall, there were more than 1,580 e-mails, 314 hotline calls and more than 750 in attendance at the next town hall meeting. Costing a mere $136, the Our Budget Matters initiative shows that producing an effective and efficient listening tool need not be a costly endeavor.