Hartford’s Bold Move: The Legacy that Helped Shape Polco’s Future
Back in March 2015, Balancing Act was brand new. We had just launched our online Budget Simulator - an idea that felt bold at the time, even a little risky.
Then came Hartford.
Just days after our release, Hartford, Connecticut became the first city in the country to officially adopt Balancing Act. Looking back, it wasn’t just a launch milestone - it was a turning point for what public engagement in budgeting could become.
Hartford didn’t just try Balancing Act. They built a full civic experience around it.
The city, led by then-Mayor Pedro Segarra and the Department of Management & Budget, partnered with a coalition of neighborhood groups like Hartford 2000 to host the city’s first People’s Budget events. These meetings brought residents together - face-to-face and online - to learn about city finances, explore tough tradeoffs, and recommend real budget priorities.
It wasn’t a one-off tech tool drop-in. It was interactive governance, before that term had much traction.
What truly set Hartford apart was the way city leadership showed up - literally. City council members, department heads, and the mayor himself were there, sitting side-by-side with residents in a packed public library. That presence alone sent a message: This budget belongs to the people.
When Hartford, Connecticut became the first city in the nation to launch a Balancing Act budget simulation in 2015, it didn’t just pioneer a new way to engage residents in government budgeting, it helped spark a movement.
That moment, nearly a decade ago, marked a turning point in how governments could approach transparency and public trust. By inviting residents into the budgeting process, Hartford offered something that had been missing for too long: a genuine seat at the table.
Balancing Act turned static spreadsheets into dynamic, clickable choices - a way for residents to explore what happens when you cut here to fund there. And the city took full advantage of that interactivity with a hybrid model that remains a best practice today:
The result? Engagement surged. Trust grew. And Hartford tapped into a new channel for honest, informed public feedback.
As Jose L. Sanchez, then Director of Management & Budget, put it:
“Balancing Act is just the tool we need to fully engage our residents in the very hard choices that need to be made with our budget.”
Nearly a decade later, that spirit of innovation lives on - Balancing Act is now part of Polco, and Hartford’s example continues to inspire cities nationwide to treat budgets not just as numbers, but as community conversations.
Fast forward to today, and the impact of that early innovation can still be felt, because Balancing Act is now part of something even bigger: Polco.
Polco was founded to empower local governments with technology that makes community input easy, trustworthy, and actionable. From statistically valid Benchmark Surveys to insightful data dashboards, Polco’s platform has expanded far beyond surveys. But the mission remains grounded in what Hartford and Balancing Act proved: residents want to be part of the solution, and governments thrive when they listen. Trust starts with transparency.
Now, as Balancing Act by Polco, these simulation tools are fully integrated into a platform that helps communities not only ask questions, but understand the context behind the answers - and take meaningful action.
The challenges facing local governments haven’t gotten easier. Budgets are tighter. Trust is harder to earn. The need for smart, inclusive public engagement is greater than ever.
That’s why we’re proud to carry forward the legacy of Balancing Act and build upon it. It’s why we continue to innovate with tools like the Taxpayer Receipt, which shows residents exactly how their tax dollars are spent, and our Budget Simulations, which help them weigh in on trade-offs before decisions are made.
And it’s why we’re bringing all of Balancing Act’s best content - like this early Hartford success story - into the Polco platform. To preserve the knowledge, keep the momentum alive, and make sure these insights remain accessible to the public leaders and engaged residents who need them most.
The future of public engagement is integrated, data-informed, and AI-enhanced. At Polco, we’re bringing together the best of civic tech - Benchmark Surveys, Budget Simulations, taxpayer transparency, resident sentiment, and more - into one powerful platform.
What started as a groundbreaking moment in Hartford has helped shape a national movement. And now, that story continues - with more tools, more insight, and more impact than ever before.
Communities work better when everyone has a voice - and the tools to make it count.
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