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From YouTube: Episode 40: Budget 101
Description
On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we talk to Deputy County Administrator Matt Harris and Budget Director Gerard Durkin to help break down what is involved in putting together the county budget, how long the process takes, what are some of the misnomers of that process, and much more.
Credits:
Director: Martin Stith
Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas
Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin
Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce
Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese
Graphics: Debbie Wrenn
Promotions and Media: J. Elias O’Neal, Elizabeth Hart, and Jackie Wilkens
Music:
Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds
Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl
Guest:
Matt Harris, Chairman, Deputy County Administrator for Finance and Administration
Gerard Durkin, Director of Budget and Management
Recorded in-house by Communications and Media
Chesterfield.gov/podcast
Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it’s @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.
A
A
Once
again,
the
temperatures
are
starting
to
rise
and
with
that
means
spring
is
about
to
Spring
it'll
be
sprung
before
we
know
it
and
with
that
comes
budget
season,
and
we
thought
after
last
year's
Bond
referendum
and
kind
of
doing
some
of
these
101s.
It
wouldn't
be
a
bad
idea
to
sort
of
take
a
step
back
before
we
actually
got
into
the
nuts
and
bolts
of
the
budget.
I
wanted
to
bring
on
a
couple
folks
to
kind
of
talk
about
what
a
budget
is
and
kind
of.
A
Try
to
educate
folks
give
as
much
information
as
we
can
fill
in
some
holes,
maybe
fix
some
myths,
misnomers
and
that
kind
of
thing
I've
got
Matt
Harris,
who
is
the
Deputy
County
Administrator
for
finance
and
administration,
or
maybe
Administration
Finance?
Maybe
I
got
those
backwards.
How
are
you
Matt,
wonderful,
Brad,
I
appreciate
you
being
on
the
show
appreciate
you
coming
in,
and
this
is
my
third
time
actually.
This
is
that
the
hat
trick,
I
think
I.
Think
at
this
point
you
do
get
a
t-shirt.
A
A
Not
not
right
now,
we've
got
director
budget
management,
Gerard
Durkin
on
the
show
as
well
Gerard.
How
are
you
I'm
good?
How
are
you
I'm
doing
well,
I
appreciate
your
time
fellas.
Obviously
this
is
a
very
busy
time
frame,
but
one
of
the
things
that
I
wanted
to
do
in
this
podcast
was
to
explain
why
this
is
not
I
mean
yes,
you're
busy
I
don't
mean
to
imply
that
you're
not,
but
it's
not
like
the
budget
only
starts
in
February
March.
You
guys
are
working
on
this
thing.
A
All
the
time
and
I
kind
of
want
to
get
into
like
I
said
the
nuts
and
bolts
of
what
is
a
budget.
What
is
it
not?
How
does
it
come
together?
Who
all's
working
on
it
I
think
for
a
lot
of
people
out
there
that
Matt?
The
idea
that
the
budget
is
just
a
is
a
guess.
You
know
it's
a
thing
that
just
you
know
pops
up,
but
realistically
you
guys
are
working
on
this
in
years
in
advance,
multiple
budgets,
probably
at
the
same
time,
let's
start
real
real
basic.
What
is
a
budget?
A
B
B
It's
not
a
plan
we
put
on
the
shelf
right,
you
know
I,
think,
probably
when
I
started,
when
I
was
a
wee
pup
15
years
ago,
you
know
that
it
kind
of
had
that
feel
to
like
you
would
we'd
pass
a
two-year
budget
actually
come
out
and
do
some
amendments
and
it
wasn't
really
a
responsive
document
or
process,
and
it
I
think
over
time
it
has
evolved
and
that's
exactly
what
it
is
now
in
the
world
around
us.
You
know
has
changed
a
lot
too.
B
Just
yesterday
we
had
the
revenue
work
session
not
to
get.
You
know
turn
this
into
Super
nerdy
time,
but
you
looked
at
all
of
the
economic
indicators
that
we
follow
on
a
day-to-day
basis.
You
just
noticed
the
incredibly
wild
swings
that
have
occurred
over
the
course
of
the
last
18
to
24
months.
Right.
I.
Think
that
just
underscores
you
know
you
can't
build
a
bunch
of
debt.
You
know
is
going
to
last
24
months.
B
You
know
like
I
used
to
do
or
you
know
even
the
state's
insane
process,
which
you
know
also
doesn't
really
factor
in
those
things.
So
we,
you
know,
we
build
a
budget
right
now,
we're
beginning
the
process,
really
kind
of
starting
January
ramps
up
in
February
and
two
weeks
from
yesterday,
we
will
be
unveiling
what
people
probably
consider
more
to
be
the
budget,
the
expense
side.
You.
B
B
C
C
B
Know
dot
along
with
theirs.
You
know
we
have
very
hard
fast
deadlines
and
right
rules
and
processes
that
we
have
to
comply
by.
So
we
will
present
the
budget
in
March
folks.
You
know
the
the
best
time
to
interact.
You
could
do
it
year
round.
We
have
phone
numbers
and
websites
and
fax
machines
and
right
carrier
pigeons
and
all
sorts
of
things
that
you
could
contact
staff,
but
the
month
of
March
is
really
set
aside
for
to
hear
from
the
public
about
what
is
being
presented
right.
A
B
A
B
So
I
mean
I.
Think
that's,
but
your
you
know.
Your
point
is
right.
So
that's
that's!
Those
are
kind
of
the
traditional
Milestones
traditional
places
in
the
process,
but
we
have
had
to
I
mean
every
month
that
the
board
meets.
They
do
something
to
amend
the
budget
right.
You
know
and
I
think
that's
another
part
of
it.
You
know
conditions
change
that
the
biggest
Milestone
of
that
is
kind
of
the
Fall.
Once
we
close
out
the
fiscal
year
from
the
prior
year
right,
you
know
we
generate.
We
have
positive
budgets
here.
B
B
You
know
be
somewhere
else
doing
something
else,
but
at
that
in
the
fall
period
of
time
when
those
one-time
monies
come
back,
the
board
has
used
that
as
an
opportunity
to
deal
with
things
that
have
come
up
to
modify
plans,
but
you
know
more
or
less
you're
right.
It's
it's
a
year-round
process,
folks
really
tune
into
it
more
in
the
in
the
winter
and
spring
months,
but
you
know
we
we
have
to
with
the
world
around
us
with
all
of
the
chaos
that
exists
from
external
pressure
perspective.
We
have
to
be
on.
A
A
C
I
mean
it's
as
a
year-round
process
kind
of
at
three
points.
Three
fiscal
years
are
kind
of
being
juggled
together.
You
know
we're
starting
to
ramp
up
for
fiscal
year,
24
in
the
fall
where
we
start
to
talk
to
departments
about
what
their
upcoming
needs
are
in
the
given
year,
right
we're
in
the
current
fiscal
year
fiscal
year,
23
right
now,
which
definitely
doesn't
form
where
things
may
land
for
24
and
to
Matt's
point.
You
know
we're
beginning
to
close
out
fiscal
year
22
and
how
can
we
best
use
those
results
of
operations.
A
The
county
obviously
has
revenues
that
come
in
a
lot
of
that,
based
around
assessments,
tax
rate,
which
we
obviously
the
board,
will
set
the
rate
and
there's
a
whole
legal
framework
around.
You
know
the
rate
that
you
advertise.
You
can't
go
higher
than
that,
but
you
can
always
go
lower
than
in
that,
but
in
terms
of
let's
say,
there's
a
department
who
has
a
need
who
thinks
that
they
have
something
that
they
want
to
be
able
to
put
in
the
budget.
A
C
Right
we
look
at
that
internally.
My
department
works
with
all
the
Departments
to
review
those,
and
then
it
really
becomes
like
I
said
before
on
Art
and
the
science.
At
that
point
right,
you
know
you
look
at
what
are
the
priorities
of
the
board,
what
are
the
priorities
of
the
County
Administrator
and
what
are
the
priorities?
Most
importantly
of
the
community
right
and
you
have
to
factor
all
those
in
when
you're
making
those
decisions
every
year
we
get
way
more
requests
than
we
can
actually
afford.
C
B
A
Horizon
and
in
terms
Matt
in
terms
of
the
the
way
that
the
the
the
thing
kind
of
comes
together.
What's
the
what's
the
the
hardest,
like
the
pressure
points
right
is
it
the?
Is
it
Revenue
projections
that
the
models
are
are
wrong
about?
Is
it
the
revenue
doesn't
come
from
the
state
that
you
expect?
Is
it
the
uncertainty
of
just
sort
of
what
the
priorities
might
be
when
you
start
to
build
the
budget
versus
when
the
budget
actually
comes
to
adoption?
A
Lot
of
things
on
moving
pieces,
as
we
all
learn
through
the
pandemic
right
and
in
terms
of
especially
with
inflation.
I
was
just
assuming,
and
you
know
my
bad
if
I'm
wrong
about
this,
but
the
idea
being
that
you
know
sometimes
what
you
think
might
happen
can
change
dramatically
based
on
things
that
you
don't
necessarily
that
you
can't
forecast
right.
There
are
some
pieces,
I
mean,
as
all
of
us
know
who
are
trying
to
you,
know:
I
didn't
expected.
B
Hardest
part
of
this
business
is
the
like
Gerard
said
we
can
sit
down
stairs
with
Excel
spreadsheets
all
day
and
right.
You
know
really
get
that
down
in,
but
it's
the
it's
the
balance
in
the
community
expectations.
You
know,
you
know
Municipality
of
370
000
people
with
a
lot
of
growth.
You
know
Healthy,
Growth
I,
think
that's
another
kind
of
misnomer
I
mean
we
look
at
that.
As
you
know,
that's
a
that's
a
positive
thing.
B
I
mean
it
certainly
isn't
even
across
the
county
in
terms
of
where
that's
occurring,
but
it's
something
that
we
have
to
factor
in.
So
in
a
time
like
this,
where
you
mentioned
eggs
and
other
you
know,
household
Commodities
we're
trying
to
balance
the
pressure
that
folks,
based
on
a
day-to-day
basis,
kind
of
that
kitchen
table,
metaphor
versus
you
know
the
needs
of
a
growing
community
and
then
the
fact
that
all
of
those
inflationary
pressures
we
don't
buy
a
whole
lot
of
eggs
as
an
organization.
B
B
We
have
to
you
know
those
costs
get
passed
along
us
like
they
do
everybody
else.
So
you
know
how
do
you
provide
some
relief
when
assessments
are
going
up
a
lot?
How
do
you
continue
to
focus
on
the
needs
of
a
growing
Community,
a
growing
organization
and
just
kind
of
deal
with
rising
cost
pressures?
You
know
that
we're
facing
so
I
mean
it's
that
list
of
what
the
pressures
are
always
changes
a
little
bit
but
I
think
that's.
Those
are
the
balls
that
we're
trying
to
juggle
right
now.
Gerard.
A
When
you
work
week,
excuse
me
year
to
year
budget
to
budget,
are
there
things
that
you
sort
of
learn
from
one
year
to
the
next?
You
know.
Oh,
this
is
a
tweak
we
need
to
make
and
then
you
sort
of
track
it
going
forward.
Or
is
it
all
about
sort
of
the
projections
that
you
know
that
I
apparently
impugned
there
a
minute
ago?
Is
it?
Is
it
all
really
about
sort
of
making
sure
that
those
the
knowns
stay
known
and
the
unknowns?
Are
things
you're
trying
to
figure
out?
A
A
C
C
A
C
B
C
B
Yeah,
brutal
yeah,
but
the
lesson
from
covid
for
for
us
is
Max.
Flexibility
in
the
budget.
I
mean
that
and
you're
going
to
see
that
when
we
come
back
and
when
we
in
this
room
on
March
8th
you're
going
to
see
a
design
that
I
think
is
very
you
know:
we've
had
The
Five-Year
Plan.
That
gives
us
horizontal
flexibility.
If
you
will,
we
can
go
and
take
something
and
cut
it
up
and
put
it
in
multiple
years.
B
B
We
have
I,
I
would
say,
mastered
the
art
of
sort
of
the
horizontal
budget.
Now
we're
going
to
do
that
vertically
and
that
we're
going
to
look
at
the
fiscal
year,
not
as
a
full,
12-month
block,
but
as
six
month
increments
and
turn.
You
know
flipping
on
switches
in
six
month
increments.
As
you
know,
revenues
become
apparent
to
us
because
we
are
at
a
distinct
disadvantage
with
that.
So
this
is
sort
of
the
weird
you
know.
Just
let
me
just
humor
me
for
a
second
Brad
I'll
defend
Gerard's
revenue
revenue
record,
which.
B
He
has
a
he
has
a
large
following
they're
going
to
come
after
you,
but
you
know
from
a
REV.
So
just
you
know
Revenue
forecasting
right.
So
our
budget
begins
July,
the
first,
so
we
know
the,
but
the
tax
year
is
calendar
year.
So
for
this
upcoming
July
1st,
we
know
the
first
six
months
of
real
estate
values,
that's
locked
in
yeah,
the
Assessor's
done
his
work.
The
board
will
pick
a
rate
that
creates
the
bill,
but
by
and
large
we
know
what
we're
going
to
get
in
for
that.
B
A
B
That's
that's
something
we
have
to
factor
in
personal
property.
We
are
just
now
putting
together
the
building
that
will
happen
in
this
budget.
That
was
due
June
5th
of
this
year
right,
so
we're
just
finalizing
those
numbers
and
then
we're
trying
to
project
on
top
of
that
from
for
a
year
from
now,
you
know
a
full
12
months
or
more
right.
Personal
property
is
the
you
know.
It's
the
noisiest
Revenue.
If
you
had
financial
troubles
today,
Brad
I'm
not
suggesting.
B
Ricky
Bobby,
but
you
could,
you
could
go
out
and
and
trade
your
car
in
you
know
get
rid
of
a
car
right
downsize.
Whatever
I
mean
it's
a
very
you
know
with
your
house.
You
don't
have
that
so
right,
personal
property
is
very,
very
fluctuates
a
lot
exactly
so
we're
dealing
with
those.
You
know
those
are
our
two
main
Revenue
sources.
B
You
know
sort
of
Revenue
picture
that,
where
you
don't
have
all
pieces
of
the
puzzle
when
you
want
them,
so
they
make
sure
we
can
still
move
the
ball
forward,
but
do
it
in
a
more
incremental
fashion,
so
again
vertical
budgeting
this
year,
we've
got
the
horizontal
in
place
and
I
think
that
gives
us
as
much
flexibility
as
anybody.
The
business
yeah.
A
Gerard
I
want
to
come
back
to
you.
First
I
want
to
apologize
in
case
you
were
actually
no,
but
no
I
think
one
of
the
things
we
we're
trying
to
do
with
this
show
is
really
kind
of
get
at
the
myths
and
and
sort
of
that
myth
busting,
but
I'm
I'm
curious
from
from
your
point
of
view.
What
have
you
know
your
over
the
years?
A
What
are
some
of
the
misnomers
things
that
people
think
about
the
budget
process
or
about
the
budget
itself
that
you
just
find
to
just
not
be
the
case
any?
Are
there
any
sort
of
like
conventional
wisdoms
out
there,
including
me
who
I
I,
think
I
assume
that,
like
the
models
were
like
software
based
and
not
necessarily
like
human
based?
So
that's
why
I
said
what
I
said,
but
that's
a
perfect
example
right,
regular
folks
who
don't
work
with
budgets.
A
C
To
your
point,
you
know
those
there's
different
ways
of
doing
that.
We
do
take
a
very
kind
of
like
data
driven
approach
as
a
kind
of
first
part.
You
look
at
a
lot
of
variables
out
there.
It's
especially
important
in
the
kind
of
economic
situation
we're
in
right
now
right.
There
is
the
kind
of
you
know,
nuances
and
personal
experiences
that
you
look
at
and
how
do
they?
A
A
A
A
To
that
point,
real
quick-
you
mentioned
the
team,
how
many
folks
ten!
So
so
it's
a
group
of
ten
that
puts
together
this
thing
in
large
part
doing
a
lot
of
the
the
on
the
ground
sort
of
work
that
goes
into
it
before
we
wrap
up
I
kind
of
want
to
give
you
both
a
chance
to
kind
of
speak
to
some
final
thoughts
if
you
have
them,
but
my
last
sort
of
question
and
I
want
to
ask
us
of
both
of
you.
A
Word
yeah:
well,
I
mean
you:
can
you
can
pack
it
all
I
mean
we.
Basically
it's
what
it's
whatever
we
want
it
to
be
right,
but
I'm
just
curious.
What
are
some
of
the
the
sort
of
takeaways
for
folks
about
the
budget
process
that
you
want
people
to
sort
of
understand
before
we
get
into
the
what's?
Actually
in
this,
this
year's
you
know
FY
budget
proposal,
I'm
just
curious.
What
are
some
of
the
things
you
want
people
to
understand
about
the
process,
yeah
well,.
B
I
think
two
or
three
things:
Brad,
maybe
10..
You
know,
first
and
foremost,
you
know,
there's
there's
this
every
January!
You
know
it's
sort
of
a
weird
thing.
This,
the
school
budgets
present
first
and
to
no
fault
of
their
own
I
mean
that's
the
way
the
process
has
to
happen
right.
School
board
has
to
have
I,
think
they're
approving
a
budget
to
send
into
the
County
Administrator
today.
Actually,
but
you
know
they
go
through
this
concept
of
a
needs
based
budget
where
you
know
they.
B
I
think
there's
there's
a
misnomer
that
that
doesn't
happen
on
the
county
side.
We
have,
you
know,
we're
getting
ready
to
produce
a
400
page
budget
document.
So
that's
another.
You
know
message
folks,
there's
nothing
that
you
can't
see.
I
mean
the
level
of
transparency
from
now
from
when
we
started
you
know
doing
this
several
years
ago.
It's
just
unbelievable.
Any
any
line
item
that
you
want
to
look
at.
B
You
can
see,
but
we
get
two
three
four
times
the
amount
of
requests
from
departments
that
we
can
actually
reasonably
ask
the
public
to
pay
for
in
any
given
year
and
again,
that's
why
we
go
out
in
that
horizontal
concept.
So
there
are
quote
unquote.
Unmet
needs
on
both
sides
and
every
budget
that
has
ever
been
produced
and
I.
Think
our
process
in
the
county
side
isn't
quite
as
noisy
about
things
that
aren't
in
this
budget,
because
departments
even
Public,
Safety,
very
high
importance.
Things
are
very,
very
important
to
everyone.
B
B
B
B
C
B
We
are
working
actively
from
the
direction
of
board
supervisors
to
help
fill
in
whatever
gaps
remain
after
the
state
finishes
their
work,
but
we
just
don't
know
when
that's
going
to
be
right,
so
I
think
just
people
need
to
keep
that
in
mind.
It's
not
that
the
board
won't
fund
this
that
or
the
other
thing.
What
are
they
responding
to?
They
don't
even
have
an
official
submission
to.
B
We
got
half
of
the
revenue
picture,
a
lot
of
expenses
and
you
can't
match
those
up
so,
but
we
have
been
able
to
give
them
a
very
clear
path.
We
say
we
can.
We
know
we
can
hit
this
number.
We
think
we
might
be
able
to
do
better
once
again
that
Revenue
picture
with
all
those
things
come
in
at
different
periods,
I.
B
One
day
and
we
get
a
letter
from
the
revenue
fairy
and
here's
all
the
numbers,
it
doesn't
work
that
way,
so
it
we
have
to
rely
on
the
process.
That's
where
we
are
April
5th
board's
voting
on
this
thing.
Hopefully,
the
state
gives
us
something
to
work
for
them,
but
I
think
I
just
asked
for
the
Public's
patience.
You
know
stay
engaged.
If
you
have
questions,
if
something
doesn't
sound
right
call.
One
of
us,
you
know
we
are
all
of
our
information-
is
out
there
emails.
B
A
B
C
Brand
new
version-
okay,
I,
mean
I,
honestly
I-
think
he
covered
like
the
operational
and
the
kind
of
public
side
extremely
well,
I.
Think
just
for
me.
I'll
come
back
to
the
team.
Again,
all
of
them
live
and
work
in
this
community.
They
care
about
this
community
right
hell
of
a
lot
and
they
work
day
and
night
to
produce
that
budget
and
work
with
all
the
Departments
throughout
the
year.
Well,.
A
A
Now
make
sure
you
check
us
out
on
social
media
on
Twitter
it's
at
chesterfieldva
and
on
Instagram
at
Chesterfield
Virginia,
all
one
word,
and
on
Facebook
you
can
check
out
our
podcast
Pages
search
Pro
behind
the
mic,
make
sure
you
like
that
page
keep
looking
to
go
forward
now.
Let
me
tell
you
about
all
the
ways
you
can
check
us
out.
You
can
watch
us
on
our
YouTube
channels
or
us
on
our
website
at
chesterfield.gov,
podcast
and
audio.
A
Only
version
of
the
show
is
available
there,
as
well
as
on
Apple
podcast,
Stitcher,
Spotify,
overcast
and
a
whole
host
of
other
services.
You
can
watch
the
show
on
wcct
Thursday
through
Sunday,
at
7,
on
the
weekends
at
noon:
that's
Comcast,
channel,
98
and
Verizon
Channel
28
and,
lastly,
you
can
check
out
chesspro.gov
slash,
connect
with
us
for
more
ways
to
get
in
touch
with
us
and
for
us
to
get
in
touch
with
you.
A
My
thanks
to
our
director
Mark
stiff
our
executive
producer,
Teresa
Boniface
and
all
the
good
folks
here
in
Communications
and
media
for
all
that
they
do.
We
very
much
appreciate
them
so
from
all
of
us
here
in
Chesterfield
County,
thanks
again
for
making
us
a
part
of
your
day.
We'll
see
you
again
real
soon
take
good
care.