North Texas City Using Lego Animation Video To Break Down $550+ Million City Budget

ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) — Texas is known for doing things big but one city decided to take a small, even childlike, approach when it came time to break down the city budget to the masses.

The City of Arlington used an Lego Bricks animation to give the public a lot of information about the proposed $552 million operating budget.

It was all about creativity for city planning officials when hey approached a local Lego enthusiast -- and city employee -- to help make it happen.

The video, that runs for more than 4 minutes, shows Lego councilmembers, workers and citizens participating in everyday activities. It also explains how some of the funds of the budget are used -- including schools, county taxes and more. Also pointed out is the fact that the budget proposal includes a property tax rate reduction for the sixth straight year.

Officials say their aim was to use the popular children's toy to explain a crucial-yet-complex topic.

The video has gone viral, racking up nearly 700,000 views as of Tuesday.