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What Value For Money Budgeting is: The citizens of Michigan ought to have the first say in how their tax dollars are spent, and the state must ensure its citizens actually get what they pay for. Value For Money budgeting accomplishes this. It’s an innovative approach to budgeting that begins by asking citizens how their tax dollars should be spent and setting tangible ways to measure the success of every state program.

How Value For Money budgeting differs from Michigan’s current broken system: In Michigan today the budget system is a tool of special interests and lobbyists who don’t care – or even ask – what Michiganders want. They use money and political favors to influence Lansing into spending state dollars on their priorities. The result is a spending plan with no connection to the needs of our state. Poor fiscal management and a lack of oversight mean the people of Michigan never even know whether they receive the services their tax dollars supposedly pay for.

Why Value For Money budgeting works: Value For Money works because it takes the budget-writing process out of Capitol building backrooms and puts it into our communities. It’s a system that: 1) puts citizens first in determining budget priorities, 2) determines what a successful budget would look like, 3) selects effective strategies for achieving citizens’ budget goals, 4) examines state government to ensure services are being delivered in the most efficient – and cost-effective – way, 5) takes a multi-year view rather than a short-sighted one, 6) sets real measures for whether money is paying for what was intended, and 7) regularly reports back to the citizens so they can hold government accountable.

Where Value For Money has been proven to work: Washington State reduced a $2.4 billion deficit without raising taxes by asking citizens to tell government leaders what goals they should focus on… Iowa’s Department of Transportation saved $35 million annually by engaging citizens and ordering a comprehensive review of all services and management… Charlotte, NC’s population doubled in the 1990s, but 26 departments were consolidated into 9 and the municipal workforce was reduced by 8%, while surveys indicated greater than 80% approval of nearly all services.

Why Rick is the right candidate to put Value For Money budgeting in place: Yes, Value For Money is a simple concept. So why hasn’t it been put in place in Michigan before? Because a lack of leadership in Lansing. Politicians placed the desires of special interests before the needs of our state. Rick Snyder is the only candidate who has the leadership necessary to take this innovative and important idea and put it into practice.

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