Speakers and sessions are subject to change. All events are at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio unless otherwise noted.
Handouts will not be provided on site.

Presented by:
Brooks Bennett, City Manager, City of Round Rock
Austin Ellington, Director of Communications, City of Round Rock
Sara Bustilloz, Communications and Marketing Director, City of Round Rock

Budget communication is often reduced to compliance—required notices, public hearings, and technical documents that can be difficult for residents to understand. But cities have an opportunity to go further by communicating in a way that is clear, honest and grounded in the value they provide.

The session will include real-world examples, including tools, messaging approaches and lessons learned from engaging directly with residents throughout the budget process. Speakers will share how to make complex financial information more engaging and align leadership around transparent messaging—even when it involves a tax rate increase.

Attendees will learn practical strategies for:

• Explaining tax rate decisions in plain language
• Connecting budget priorities to community expectations
• Navigating public engagement, including social media conversations
• Building internal alignment to support consistent, transparent messaging