The Strong Towns Podcast How To Manage City Finance Effectively, With Rick Cole
11 snips
Mar 31, 2025 
Rick Cole, the chief deputy controller of Los Angeles and a councilmember in Pasadena, brings his city finance expertise to the table. He discusses how budgets serve as value statements and the importance of directional financial management. The conversation dives into the critical role of public participation in financial decisions, emphasizing the need for community engagement. Cole highlights innovative budgeting strategies and the moral implications of spending choices, making a strong case for civic involvement in shaping effective city governance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Budgets Reflect Moral Values
- Budgets reveal our true community values through spending choices.
- They should be consciously crafted moral documents reflecting priorities, not just numbers.
Fire Dept Mainly Handles Medical Calls
- Most fire department calls are medical emergencies, not fires.
- Using fire engines for non-fire needs is costly and inefficient but historically embedded.
Budgeting by Tradition Dominates
- Municipal budgets often grow by incremental assumptions, not by re-evaluation.
- Tradition and politics, not data or outcomes, usually drive spending decisions.