Help Create the Next City Budget

Mayor Carter invites you to join him at an in-person budget conversation this summer.

The Office of Financial Services, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, host seven community conversations across Saint Paul in April and May. Every year, the value-based ideas people generate during these events help the Mayor craft his budget proposal for the following year.

What to Expect

During the community budget conversation, you'll work with neighbors to:

  • Select from a menu of spending proposals to incorporated into a simulated City budget
  • Decide how to raise the revenue needed to create a balanced budget

You'll do these activities using an app called "Prioritize." City staff will facilitate the conversation and help you use the app. The model budgets you create will help Mayor Carter craft a proposal that expresses the values of Saint Paul residents.

Please note: A smartphone or tablet is required. We'll have devices available for use.

Questions? Email Us

Annual City Budgeting Process

It takes teamwork to create our annual City budget. The Mayor, City Council, City staff, and residents work together to craft a budget that reflects our values. 

January to March: Base Budget

At the start of the year, the City finalizes revenue and expenses from the previous year. This "base budget" gives us a starting point to plan for the next year.

April to May: Planning Begins

Each spring, the Mayor asks City leaders to plan for the following year.

The Mayor's team discusses the coming year’s budget with City commissions, boards, and committees. 

Meanwhile, the Mayor asks the directors of City departments to start planning their operating budgets for the coming year. The Mayor gives them direction about what to prioritize as they plan.

April to May: Attend a Budget Session

The Mayor, City staff, and City Council members invite Saint Paul residents to join a community budgeting conversation.

  • The Mayor hosts seven budgeting conversations, one in each ward.
  • Participants work together to model a balanced City budget that matches their values.
  • The City uses these models to learn how people want to raise and spend public money.
  • The Mayor begins crafting his budget proposal based on community priorities.

The Mayor and City staff host similar sessions in schools and with community groups. 

View the 2024 Budget Engagement Process

Community members create model budgets during our series of community budget conversations. City staff analyze these models. The Mayor uses this information to create a budget based on community values. This presentation shows the results from 2024, which Mayor Carter used to create his 2025 budget proposal.

How community engagement shaped the Mayor’s budget proposal

Mayor Carter’s 2025 Budget Address

“After months of deliberation with my city leadership team, and conversations with 400 city residents, workers, students, seniors and business leaders over 42 different budget engagement sessions, I am honored to present my proposed 2025 budget, a document full of tough choices that I believe collectively represent the strongest pathway to a prosperous future together.” 

— Mayor Melvin Carter

Read the Mayor's Speech

Last Edited: April 18, 2025