It's time to play everyone's favorite game!
The city's Budget in a Box gives folks outside city hall a chance to learn about the city's budgeting process, then try on the shoes of a city budgeter, cutting, padding and managing programs and agencies that keep the city humming along.
KUT News acquired a copy of the game and we gave a two reporters and a few interns the chance to give the budgeting process the old college try. Click the video below to see how we fared.The game gives five to 10 players the chance to budget emergency response, parks and libraries, health and housing, planning and economic development, energy, water, waste disposal and infrastructure with the ultimate goal of educating Austinites on how the process works.
The game also serves as a bellwether for city budgeters to see what priorities Austinites want the city to focus on before the city's budget is finalized in the fall.
The city says nearly 150 games were sent out, and they expect to collect feedback after the June 7 deadline.
Want to get your own copy? Visit the city's website or head down to an Austin area public library. But hurry up and budget before the Thursday deadline.
