Economy League Launches Philadelphia Budget Challenge
March 23, 2009
Contact: Allison Kelsey, 215 875 1000 x14
PHILADELPHIA -- Picking up where the recent citizen budget workshops left off, the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia launched the Philadelphia Budget Challenge today at EconomyLeague.org/budget.
This online tool uses current city data to simulate the decisions about revenue and spending being made now to balance the city's budget. The Economy League, a longtime advocate for citizens' fiscal education, created the Challenge as a public service to engage more Philadelphians in the budget process and to foster greater understanding about the tough choices necessary to ensure that the city is a great place to live and work - both now and in the future. Challenge-takers can see how their choices compared to everyone else who tried it, and the Economy League will aggregate data to share with city officials.
Steve Wray, Economy League Executive Director, explained the reasoning behind the project. "We have a long track record for budget analysis and innovation in communicating complicated issues. We believe that the appeal of an interactive, game-like experience will coax citizens to think more deeply about the tradeoffs involved in governing our city. Certainly the attendance at the public forums demonstrated an appetite for participating in the process and learning. We hope that not just individuals at the keyboard but also that classrooms, civic associations, and other groups will take the Challenge together."
The annual city budget is the single most important policy document produced by local government. It represents the contract between citizens and their elected officials that outlines the services to be provided and the associated costs. The Philadelphia Budget Challenge gives citizens the opportunity to create a budget that reflects their values and opinions about how the city raises revenue, spends money, and provides services - all within the context of real-world constraints.
Technology constraints meant that including every department and every possible item was not practical for this online simulation. Best efforts were made to strike a balance of choices that include "hot buttons," such as libraries; departments with large budgets, such as police and fire; and general administrative areas. In all, there are 5 revenue categories and 10 spending categories, each with several options among which to choose, including several from Mayor Nutter's March 19 budget address.
To inform the decision-making, the pros and cons for each option appear as well as factual backgrounders for more detailed information. In addition, a number of online resources are linked from the Challenge, among them a Roadmap to the Philadelphia Budget Process describing its components and key points in the process of creating it.
The Economy League recognizes that there also are long-term constraints to the city's budget. The Challenge, however, focuses primarily on short-term actions that can be taken immediately or nearly immediately. Challenge-takers have the chance to express their views on long-term, fundamental restructuring at the end of the Budget Challenge.
The Lenfest Foundation funded the Philadelphia Budget Challenge. Key partners in the project include the Fels Institute of Government and the Penn Project for Civic Engagement, both of the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Philadelphia Budget Office and the Managing Director's Office.
The Economy League licensed the prototype from Next 10, a Palo Alto organization that in 2005 created its "California Budget Challenge" to engage more Californians in the budget process. The original software was developed by Red Hill Studios, and additional development for the Philadelphia Budget Challenge was created by Rock River Star, Downingtown, PA.
About the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia
The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to research and analysis of the region's resources and challenges with the goal of promoting sound public policy and increasing the region's prosperity. ELGP is an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc., with offices in Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittsburgh.
About the Fels Institute of Government
As the most practical graduate program in public management in the Ivy League, the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania prepares its students for leadership positions in city, state, and Federal agencies, elective politics, nonprofit organizations, and private firms that serve the public interest. An integral part of the program, Fels Research & Consulting brings together the resources the university and the expertise of top practitioners to help its public and non-profit partners achieve results. Learn more at www.fels.upenn.edu.
About the Penn Project for Civic Engagement
The Penn Project for Civic Engagement is a partnership of WHYY and the University of Pennsylvania. Learn more atwhyy.org/blogs/itsourcity/.
About the Lenfest Foundation
Based in West Conshohocken, the Lenfest Foundation is dedicated to supporting programs primarily in the areas of education, arts, and the environment. The Lenfest Foundation's efforts are focused mainly in southeastern and south central Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware. Visit www.lenfestfoundation.org for more information.