A provincial committee responsible for collecting input on the 2013 budget is coming to Prince George next week.

The bipartisan select standing committee on finance and government services will hear from locals about how the province should be spending its money on Oct. 16.

A public hearing will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Ramada Hotel for the committee to receive submissions from residents.

Prince George is one of 19 stops on this public hearing tour. The 10-person committee will also host three video conference sessions.

"Our government wants to engage British Columbians and hear from them about what they want to see in their budget," said committee chair Coquitlam-Burke Mountain MLA Douglas Horne.

This year's Budget Consultation Paper, released by the Ministry of Finance, paints a picture of tough economic times for the province as the Liberal government works to return to a balanced budget.

"In 2012/13 we will lose more than $240 million in natural gas royalty revenues from Budget 2012 because of falling natural gas prices and reduced production," the paper says. "Natural gas prices are expected to remain relatively low for several years, underlining the need to open up new markets and develop our liquefied natural gas export potential."

To register for the public hearing, contact the Parliamentary Committees office at 1-877-428-8337 or email financecommit...@leg.bc.ca.

For those who can't attend the public hearing, input can also be provided by sending in a written, audio or video submission or respond to an online survey through the committee's website at www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations/index.asp.

The deadline for public input is Oct. 18.