Building Chesterfield's Blueprint
Solid Fundamentals
Planning is essential to the success of Chesterfield. It's important to keep a pulse on what we need to be paying attention to and what's on the horizon as we best prepare Chesterfield for the future.
Setting the Strategy
Blueprint Chesterfield is the framework that organizes longstanding county practices related to budget and strategic planning. The Blueprint framework serves as the foundation for how we identify priorities, set strategic direction, and allocate resources. Ultimately, providing us with a tool to define why we do what we do.
Chesterfield's six strategic goals support the vision to be an extraordinary and innovative community in which to live, learn, work and play; while maintaining focus on our values for results, innovation, service and ethics.
Chesterfield County's Strategic Plan
Providing a FIRST CHOICE community through excellence in public service
Everyday Excellence
Safe and Secure Community
Robust Economy
Healthy Living and Well-being
Thriving Communities
Learning for a Lifetime
Identifying Priorities
Traditionally, throughout the year, Chesterfield initiates community engagement opportunities to talk with citizens and understand what’s happening; participating in various community outreach activities around the County.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to effect the ability to meet in-person, the county offered a series of virtual budget community meeting hosted via Facebook live events. Citizens were given the opportunity to offer feedback and ask questions via an online form, as well as during the live event.
The budget process has evolved to a year-round exercise. No matter where we are in the process, we value feedback and input anytime. Reach out to Blueprint to share ideas or ask questions.
The Five-Year Plan
The Five-Year Plan provides the framework that enables the County to establish and track progress towards key priorities. This multi-year planning process allows new or large initiatives to be planned for and phased in over time. Additionally, it ensures that the priorities that are shared by the public via the Blueprint Chesterfield processes and communication channels are strategically identified and addressed. Since FY2015, Chesterfield has been utilizing the Five-Year Plan as a tool for evaluating future needs. As time has progressed, the plan has become more thorough and thoughtful as evidenced in a quick comparison of year-to-year changes in the plan. While much attention and focus are rightfully placed on the first year of the plan, Chesterfield also ensures due diligence by properly planning ahead. The FY2023 Five-Year Plan continues to employ consistent planning methodology for baseline expenses in the out-years on both the county and school sides. In addition, this plan ensures that baseline expenses can be accommodated within projected revenues in each of the five years. Program enhancements beyond the baseline will be collectively prioritized and incorporated into future budgets as funding allows.
The Five-Year Plan focuses investment in these key areas:
- Recognizing the Workforce
- Diversifying and Bolstering our Economic Base
- Enhancing Quality of Life
- Strengthening Investment in Infrastructure
- Continuing Commitment to Public Safety
The complete listing of the FY2023 Five-Year plan and future considerations is available in the FY2023 budget document.
Making Connections
We’re making progress on key initaitives that were identified by our residents through the Blueprint Chesterfield process. Learn more about what is being done in these focus areas.
AGING IN PLACE
Chesterfield’s population is continuing to see a steady rise in those aged 55 or older; and, great strides have been made to dedicate resources to senior services. See what’s happening here to meet the recreational, mobility, and financial needs of senior residents.
BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES
Building a strong, resilient community takes time and effort with both public and private efforts working together. Dedicated resources for sidewalk and road projects, special area plans to preserve key gateways and corridors, and the beginnings of an updated zoning ordinance are just a few of the efforts underway to ensure our community remains strong as it grows.
COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY
Effective communication is paramount in successfully engaging and interacting with the community. The county has a weekly e-newsletter and numerous social media channels where you can find updated information. In addition, great strides are made to promote openness and transparency, check out the Open Government portal.
LEARNING FOR A LIFETIME
The county’s newest strategic goal, Learning for Lifetime, focuses on providing a range of learning opportunities for residents of all ages. Learning is supported primarily via local support and funding for Chesterfield County Public Schools but also through parks and recreation programming, libraries, and a variety of citizen academies.
VOLUNTEERISM AND SERVICE
Volunteers are a key component in the delivery of vital services throughout Chesterfield. Volunteer opportunities exist in Libraries, Fire and EMS, Parks and Recreation, Community Enhancement, Cooperative Extension, Police, and many other areas. Get involved and give back to your community!
EVERYDAY EXCELLENCE
The County is committed to continuously improving its service-centric culture. If you’re new to Chesterfield, or just want to learn more about how your local government operates, look at all the ways County staff strives for everyday excellence while working on behalf of Chesterfield residents.