Help decide how your municipality spends your money: IDPs and Budgeting

Local government planning processes have a reputation for being technical and bureaucratic. But the outcomes of financial decisions made by local governments have an impact on you and your neighbours, whether you engage in them or not.

Getting active in local government budgeting and planning processes is a right that all communities have. These processes can be a good way to address the issues your community faces in a systemic and long-term way. It can help you get to the root of your problem. It can be well worth learning to navigate all the opportunities to get your community's interests heard. This guide provides an introduction to local government budgeting and the municipality’s 5-year Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process. 

You can keep track of opportunities to participate in budgeting and planning processes by talking to your councillor, and members of your ward committee, following your municipality on social media, or through services like Municipal Notice. 

Where do municipalities get their money?

• Rates, based on property values. 

• Tariffs, collected from providing services like water, electricity and refuse removal.

• Money from taxes via national and provincial governments, like Municipal Infrastructure Grants and what are known as “equitable share allocations". 

• Non-state partners, in the form of loans, grants or donations.

What is an Integrated Development Plan?

Every municipality, in collaboration with the people they serve, is required to create an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to decide how they will use resources to work towards local economic and social development. 

The IDP shows how money will be used and what infrastructure and service delivery goals a municipality is working towards. Based on research, previous progress, and community input on a municipality’s needs and assets, the IDP lays out priority projects to address local issues. The plan is voted on by all councillors and lasts for 5 years, but is reviewed and adjusted every year. A municipality’s IDP is used to inform its annual budget. 

You can find your municipality’s current IDP here and you can watch an in-depth explanation of the Integrated Development Planning Process here.

What role should your community play in planning and budgeting?

Municipalities are required to consult the public –  that’s you and your neighbours – to facilitate meaningful public participation when they create and review their IDPs and budgets. Community input should not just be a ‘rubber stamp.' Decision-making needs to come from the ward level up and inform every stage of planning, implementation and review.   

Starting in the year before a budget is implemented, municipalities are required to actively seek input from community members and organisations on the quality of services and what needs to change about how a municipality is spending its money. Once the budget or IDP is drafted, communities need to be consulted again before plans and budgets are voted on by councillors. If necessary, they are revised in response to the outcomes of votes and feedback.

How can you have a say in your municipality’s IDP and budgets?

1. Agree on your community’s priorities early on. Local government's financial year starts on July 1st and runs to the 30th June the next year. It’s a good idea to meet with your resident associations, ward committees or active citizen groups early on in the year before a budget or IDP is drafted so you can agree on what’s most important for your community in the long term. It’s even better if you can develop specific, actionable proposals that you’ll be able to bring to municipal meetings. 

2. Engage in planning and council meetings. Municipalities must provide opportunities for you to have a say in your local IDP and budgets. They must call meetings for communities at places that people can get to easily, like community halls, schools and clinics. Many municipalities also offer a chance to join these sessions online. You can keep track of opportunities to participate in budgeting and planning processes by talking to your councillor, and members of your ward committee, following your municipality on social media, or through services like Municipal Notice. 

3. Get informed. The more that you know about your municipality’s budgeting and planning processes, the better you’ll be able to advocate for your community’s needs. Budgeting and planning often seem very complicated. Meetings can be full of acronyms and technical terms but don’t be discouraged. The more familiar you are with the process, the more confidently you can ask questions, track spending, and push for the changes you need. 

4. Get feedback. The plans a municipality makes always involve trade-offs and balancing many urgent priorities. If you don’t see the priorities your community has identified reflected in the plan, follow up. Ask your councillor and the municipality’s IDP manager how and why certain projects were left out, and what the process was for choosing priorities.

Community input isn’t limited to planning and drawing up budgets. Keep monitoring how your municipality uses its resources at every step, from the first drafts, to the actual delivery of services and completion of infrastructure projects. Build relationships with municipal officials and councillors to stay informed, raise concerns, and ensure your community’s priorities remain on the agenda. 

Acknowledgements

Material adapted from the Activist's Guide to Making Local Government Work the Integrated Development Planning Process and the People’s Assembly.