Austin City Council is exploring a potential move from annual to two-year budget cycles as a way to improve government efficiency; however, the potential impacts on the city’s fiscal planning process remain uncertain.

Austin’s annual budget planning can be a grueling and tedious process for city staff, council members and residents and is often characterized by long meetings and difficult decisions. The switch to biannual budgeting was first proposed by District 6 Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, who highlighted potential benefits for all stakeholders.

Although the biannual system would not necessarily eliminate tough decisions or long meetings, it would reduce their frequency. Flannigan said it would support longer-term planning for city departments and reduce the burden on the constituents who come each year to fight for the public’s funding of their cause.

The practice is uncommon for large U.S. cities, said budget officer Ed Van Eenoo. According to his research, only San Francisco, Oakland, Portland and Dallas employ biannual budgeting. Van Eenoo posed several necessary questions to City Council on Nov. 27. What would happen in situations where emergency funding is needed? What if revenue projections for year one fall short? If the year one budget has a significant savings, what would be the process of allocating those funds?

In Dallas’ relatively new system, the City Council comes back each year to make minor amendments and address potential emergency items. Van Eenoo likened it to more of an annual budget process with a two-year outlook.

Mayor Steve Adler called the Dallas model an “interesting concept.” Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo echoed those sentiments but said she would first need to be convinced that there is something wrong with the current process that needs solving—just this year, Austin’s budget process was relatively quick and streamlined. Tovo said she could not think of any budget year where some new emerging need has not popped up.

District 4 Council Member Greg Casar said Austin’s political culture was too distinct to compare its budget process with another city. He said it would take a specialized model unlike what other cities are doing.

“Our community tends to pay [much more] attention to the budget every year,” Casar said. “I think Austin is very unique in our City Hall culture.

The conversations fit in as part of City Council’s discussions to improve bureaucratic efficiency through its Government That Works Initiative. City Manager Spencer Cronk, who, hired in February, just finished leading his first Austin budget process, said he supports the efforts put forth by City Council on Nov. 27 and looks forward to having more conversations about the budget process.