The final budget workshops was held in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia on Monday, Feb 23.  More than 400 turned out to participate in a budget workshop game that is meant to give Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter feedback on what city services are most important to residents. It was also a chance for people to suggest revenue generating ideas, everything from higher fees to raising taxes.

The mayor asked for the 4 budget forums to help give him guidance in closing a projected $200 million gap for the fiscal year that runs July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010.

Citizens worked in small groups of 20-25 along with 2 moderators.

How the groups worked

On the worksheets citizens used for this exercise, each possible action was assigned a point value, based on how much it would do - either by cutting costs or raising revenues - to close the gap.

Each group was challenged to approve a list of actions that added up to 100 points - equivalent to balancing the budget.

They did so, working with moderators from the Penn Project for Civic Engagement,  by first sorting the actions into four buckets:

1)  Low-hanging Fruit - Items that 75 percent of the group could swiftly agree should be done.

2) No Way, No Hows - Actions that a 75 percent majority agreed should NOT be done, no matter what.

3)  Shared Pain - Actions that people originally wanted to avoid, but concluded should be done _ after discussion and by a 51 percent majority vote.

4) Gut Wrenchers - Actions that people really, really wanted to avoid, but were led to reconsider after early efforts to close the gap fell short.  Approved after discussion by a 51 percent vote.

Group 1 - 39 points

Group 2 - 37 points

Group 3 - 58 points

Group 4 - 78 points

Group 5 - 52 points

Group 6 - 23 points

Group 7 - 43 points

Group 8 - 45 points

Group 9 - 77 points

Group 10 - 56 points

Group 11 - 61 points

Group 12 - 95 points

Group 13 - 23 points

Group M - 60 points