Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) Whether you're building a dog house or a major factory, you've got to plan ahead if you want your project to succeed. City and county budgets are no exception.

Last week the City of Twin Falls presented its proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts October first.
During the next five weeks, they'll be debating if this budget will work for the coming year.

Travis Rothweiler, Twin Falls City Manager, says, "We want to make sure that the budget we're putting together is sustainable, but it's also something that is palatable and affordable for our residents."

Rothweiler says they've met with city department heads, community members, and the city council to hammer this budget out. He says they also want to make sure that the proposed budget meets the goals set by the city council and the strategic plan.

Rothweiler says, "We always want to try to find ways to become more efficient and more effective in the way we offer services by incorporating technology to help us work smarter. And then the other thing is being really sensitive to the current state of the economy."

Rothweiler says the proposed budget is $49 million, slightly more than the last two fiscal years, but still less than 2009's $50 million budget. He says the city also has to look beyond just one budget year, because each year's budget lays a foundation for the budget years that follow.

Rothweiler says, "The community wants better roads. To capture and build those better roads is going to take money, but it's also going to take time by building those resources slowly, conservatively, into our processes."

The Twin Falls City Council will adopt the proposed budget on Monday August 6th, and then they'll hold a public hearing on August 20th so you can comment on that proposal.

July 16, 2012.