Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is to offer a broad-based, objective perspective on a range of public and fiscal policies to the County Executive, County Council, and other County partners. The analytical work performed in OMB provides policymakers with data and options for informed decisions. The Office supports and enhances the effective operation of County government, ensuring funds are spent in the most fiscally prudent and socially responsible way. OMB also ensures that departmental expenditures are made in accordance with Executive polices and Council appropriations, consistent with the County Charter.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY20 Operating Budget for the Office of Management and Budget is $5,235,537, an increase of $315,232 or 6.41 percent from the FY19 Approved Budget of $4,920,305. Personnel Costs comprise 95.99 percent of the budget for 33 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 33.25 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 4.01 percent of the FY20 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Effective, Sustainable Government

Department Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable). The FY19 estimates reflect funding based on the FY19 approved budget. The FY20 and FY21 figures are performance targets based on the FY20 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY21.

Accomplishments

• Developed options for County Executive decisions to close the FY20 Budget gap of $186.9 million and produce a balanced budget while preserving critical services and advancing key County policies.
• Developed and implemented a $45.9 million Savings Plan to close the gap caused by FY18 year end deficit and FY19 revenue shortfalls.

• Provided analysis to the County Executive and County Council to address significant expected shortfalls in impact taxes without impacting planned support for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) capital projects. Prudent reductions in planned General Obligation bond debt for FY19-24 moved the County toward a more sustainable debt level and contributed to AAA ratings from all three credit rating agencies

• Conducted comparative Program of Requirements analysis resulting in project and debt service efficiencies, programmatic improvements, and enhanced collaboration between co-locating agencies for projects included in the CIP.

• Developed and implemented new Operating Budget BASIS Planning Module that is used to formulate all expenses and revenues for the operating budget. The module replaced Hyperion Planning functionality for better ease of use coupled with enhanced reports.

• Continued outreach efforts to promote open data, government transparency, budgeting processes, and to solicit community input into the development of the Operating and CIP budgets. Information and training sessions were held to inform community members and non-profit organizations of the community grant application system. A budget overview and process presentation was conducted for members of the Mid-County Citizen Advisory Board. Operating budget forums were held in conjunction with the County Executive's Office and the five Regional Services Centers. Interactive Budget Forum workshop featuring A Balancing Act was held to directly involve residents and receive their input on budgeting priorities. BASIS and Open Budget presentations were conducted for visiting dignitaries from Cambodia, Croatia and World Bank.

• Received three NACo awards in FY19 for the following initiatives: development and implementation of the on-line Capital Open Budget information tool; development and implementation of the on-line Operating Open Budget information tool; and development and implementation of the CIP Budget Analytical Statistical Information System (CIP-BASIS).

  
  

  
  

Initiatives

• Similar to the two-year Capital Improvement Plan cycle, OMB will implement a two-year Public Services Program cycle beginning in FY21. This approach will allow departments and decision makers to better plan, evaluate, and realign County funding to ensure that funds are being spent in the most efficient and effective way possible.
• In an effort to layout a comprehensive blueprint to tackle the County's fiscal challenges over the next decade, OMB will work with other departments to prepare a ten-year financial plan.
• In FY19, OMB implemented Phase I of the online budgeting tool, A Balancing Act. OMB will initiate Phase II with the implementation of the Taxpayer Receipt module. A Balancing Act is an interactive tool which allows the County to communicate financial information to residents and solicit their feedback. It increases transparency, accountability, and community member participation. With the implementation of the Taxpayer Receipt module, residents can prepare a simulated "receipt" showing how their taxes are used.

• Designing and developing Operating Budget Workforce Module. This module will replace the remaining Hyperion functionality for better data integrity, ease of use, and reduced server footprint and cost. The system is being developed in-house at limited additional cost to the County. The new module will be available for use in the FY21-22 Operating Budget.

• Designing and developing new BASIS and Open Budget dashboards that display and track department operating budgets to the County Executive's priority outcomes and respective performance measures.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Implemented new BASIS Operating Budget planning modules used by departments to develop and submit budgets. The new modules streamlined processes and added functionalities.

Collaboration and Partnerships

Program Descriptions

  Budget Preparation and Administration

Staff in the Budget Preparation and Administration program serve the County by preparing the County's Operating Budget, Public Services Program, Capital Budget, and Capital Improvement Program ensuring compliance with the County Charter and the decisions of elected officials. fiscal projections prepared by OMB are used by County elected officials...