Question title

Are you a City of Charlotte resident?

Yes
No
Closed to responses

CITY OF CHARLOTTE FY 2022 BUDGET SURVEY

PART ONE: THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND AND GENERAL CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN BUDGETS 

The city's General Fund is a central fund that is the principal financial support for such basic municipal services as the police and fire departments, housing and neighborhood services, and general government operations (e.g., mayor and city council, solid waste, economic development, finance, and other internal services).  The General CIP supports the construction of affordable housing, roads, intersections, sidewalks, bike lanes, city facilities, and economic development initiatives. 

The Adopted FY 2021 Budget and FY 2021 - 2025 CIP total approximately $2.55 billion (net of transfers). Of that adopted budget, the FY 2021 General Fund and General CIP budgets equal $965.9 million.  

Where does the money come from?

General Fund and General CIP funding sources include property and sales taxes, licenses and fees, utility franchise sales tax, intergovernmental transfers, voter-approved bonds, asset-supported debt, Pay-As-You-Go cash, and other revenue. 

How are these funds allocated?

As seen in the chart below, various city departments make up the general fund. The services provided by these departments include public safety services, solid waste services, housing and neighborhood services, along with many others. 

FY 2021 General Fund and General CIP Expenditures 

Total: $965.9 million ($ in millions)

General Services, $24.0, 2%| Housing and Neighborhood Services, $19.9, 2% | Police, $290.2, 30% | Financial Partners/Other, $45.2, 5% |Economic Development, $6.3, 1% |Street Lighting, $9.5, 1%

Fire, $137.7, 14% |Planning, $10.6, 1% | Internal Services, $36.0, 4% | Solid Waste Services, $67.7, 7% | General CIP, $247.1, 26% |Innovation and Technology, $44.2, 4% | Transportation, $27.5, 3%

Question title

Which of the following general fund service areas do you believe require additional resources, if any? Such resources could include additional staff, more funding for contracts, or other non-personnel expenses. (Select all that apply)

Police Services
Solid Waste Services (e.g., collection of garbage, recycling, yard waste, bulky waste)
Fire Services
Economic Development (e.g., business recruitment and expansion, talent/workforce development, corridor redevelopment, Opportunity Zones, small business development)
Street Lighting
Planning, Design, and Development (e.g., rezoning, subdivision administration, zoning administration, historic districts, community planning/area plans, GIS/mapping, capital facilities, and urban design)
Housing and Neighborhood Services (e.g., housing services; code enforcement; community engagement; CharMeck311; equity, mobility, and immigrant integration)
Transportation (e.g., street maintenance, traffic control)
Innovation & Technology (e.g., technology that supports provided city services)
Internal Services (e.g., mayor and city council, city management, financial services, legal services)
Financial Partners (Partnerships that support areas of focus for the city and contribute to community enrichment) (e.g., Arts & Science Council, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Safe Alliance)
General Services (e.g., engineering and project management, city facility maintenance, city real estate)
General CIP (e.g., supports the construction of affordable housing, roads, intersections, sidewalks, bike lanes, city facilities, and economic development initiatives)
None
Closed to responses

Question title

If you believe city services require additional resources, how would you treat revenues in order to provide those additional resources? (Select all that apply)

Increase revenue sources (e.g., increase property tax rate, increase sales tax, increase fees for city services)
Reallocate existing funding
N/A
Closed to responses

Question title

If you selected to reallocate funding from existing funds to provide funding for other priority programs or services, which of these areas would you reallocate funding from? (Select all that apply)

Police Services
Solid Waste Services (e.g., collection of garbage, recycling, yard waste, bulky waste)
Fire Services
Economic Development (e.g., business recruitment and expansion, talent/workforce development, corridor redevelopment, Opportunity Zones, small business development)
Street Lighting
Planning, Design, and Development (e.g., rezoning, subdivision administration, zoning administration, historic districts, community planning/area plans, GIS/mapping, capital facilities, urban design)
Housing and Neighborhood Services (e.g., housing services; code enforcement; community engagement; CharMeck311; equity, mobility, and immigrant integration)
Transportation (e.g., street maintenance, traffic control)
Innovation & Technology (e.g., technology that supports city provided services)
Internal Services (e.g., mayor and city council, city management, financial services, legal services)
Financial Partners (Partnerships that support areas of focus for the city and contribute to community enrichment) (e.g., Arts & Science Council, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Safe Alliance)
General Services (e.g., engineering and project management, city facility maintenance, city real estate)
General CIP (e.g., supports the construction of affordable housing, roads, intersections, sidewalks, bike lanes, city facilities, and economic development initiatives)
None
Closed to responses

Question title

If you selected to increase existing revenues or introduce new revenue sources, which of the following options would you choose? (Select all that apply)

Increase real property tax rate (currently 34.81¢ per $100 of assessed valuation)
Increase resident fees for city programs
Increase parking related permits and citations
Increase Solid Waste Services fees (currently $67.66 per year)
Other
Closed to responses

PART TWO: THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 

While COVID-19 is necessitating a shift in operations to deal with the most immediate needs, the City of Charlotte has five strategic priorities that serve to guide the city's recovery and progress forward. 

The strategic priorities defined by Council will guide decision making and align resource allocation:

  • Economic Development (Economy, Jobs, Upward Mobility) 
  • Great Neighborhoods (Affordable and Sustainable Neighborhoods) 
  • Safe Communities (Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive Communities) 
  • Transportation, Planning, and Environment (Accessibility, Mobility, and Connectivity) 
  • Well-Managed Government (Efficient, Effective, Accountable, Responsive, Inclusive, and Customer Focused) 

The development of the Proposed FY 2022 Budget will be guided by the above strategic priorities with funding directed towards programs and services that support these priorities. 

This section of the survey allows you to indicate what initiatives within the city's strategic priorities matter most to you. 

Question title

List the below City of Charlotte Strategic Priorities by importance. (Click to rank highest to lowest, drag and drop to re-order, and click confirm priority ranking)

Closed to responses

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Below are 20 initiatives that support the above strategic priorities. Please rank your top five (5) priorities from highest to lowest priority. (Click to rank highest to lowest, drag and drop to re-order, and click Confirm Priorities)

Closed to responses

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Please use the following space to provide additional comments you have in regards to the city budget process and your city budget priorities.

Closed for Comments

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What Council District do you live in? (Click on the district in the map below. Click N/A if you do not reside within a City Council District. You may zoom in or zoom out.)