Letter: City’s budget survey is flawed

In reference to the article "City surveying residents about budget priorities as leaders face post-election spending cuts," it makes sense to poll residents about their funding priorities.

But the city's survey is flawed in some important ways that limit its usefulness and risk misleading both respondents and decision-makers.

The survey asks us to weigh in on 15 broad categories of services, but it provides no information about the relative scale of current spending. Without even rough context — whether a category represents a few hundred thousand dollars or tens of millions — it is easy to assume that each item is roughly equivalent. They are not.

Asking people to set priorities without basic budget context invites impressions rather than informed judgment.

This is particularly clear in the category called "climate and energy efficiency." First, there is no CBJ "program" that fits that description. More importantly, energy efficiency spending is fundamentally different from most of the other categories in the survey. Its primary purpose is not to provide a service, but to reduce long-term operating costs — by lowering fuel and electricity expenses for public buildings and infrastructure.  

The CBJ has never systematically reviewed its opportunities for savings through energy efficiency. Typically, organizations that do this can reduce energy costs by 30%. Unlike nearly every other category listed, energy efficiency investments can pay for themselves over time and continue to deliver savings year after year.

Treating it as just another discretionary service obscures its value as a cost-containment strategy, especially in an era of constrained revenues and volatile energy prices.

If the goal of this survey is to help guide tough budget choices, it needs to do a better job of distinguishing between spending that is consumptive and spending that can reduce future costs. Otherwise, the results may reflect confusion rather than true public priorities.

Juneau residents are capable of engaging thoughtfully with hard tradeoffs — but only if they are given the information needed to do so.

Steve Behnke

Juneau