Exhibits
Preface
Acknowledgments
1 How to Read a Government Budget
Why You Need to Understand Your Government Budget
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Reading and Understanding the Budget
Three types of budgets
Three types of funds
Elements of a budget document
Exercise: Reading the Annual Budget Document
Notes
2 Coping With the Budget Process
Preparing the Budget
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
The Budget Process
The phases of the budget cycle
The formal system
Agency needs: Building budgets rationally
External impacts on agency budgets
Exercise: Mastering the Budget Process
Step one: Homework
Step two: Role Play
Step three: Assessments
Options
Notes
3 Budgeting for Personal Services
Preparing an Agency Personnel Budget
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Preparing a Budget for Personal Services
Importance of personal services
Description of position types
Pay plans
Steps in developing a personal services budget
Exercise: Budgeting for Personnel
Notes
4 Budgeting for Operating Expenses and Capital Outlay
Budgeting Non-Personnel Expenses
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Budgeting for Expenses and Equipment
Budgeting for operating expenses
The incremental method
Analytic approaches
Unit cost calculations
Predetermined charges: internal service funds
Standard costs
Capital outlay
Some special considerations
Exercise: Budgeting Operating Expenses and Capital Outlay
Notes
5 Defending Budget Proposals
Defending Your Agency Budget
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
The Justification and Analysis of Agency Budgets
Strategies versus justification
Mandatory, base, and discretionary expenditures
Three perspectives of an agency's budget review
The central budget office's review
The chief executives review
The legislature's review
Exercise: Defending and Reviewing Budget Requests
Notes 6 Preparing Revenue Estimates
Revenue Estimation
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Estimating Revenues by Funds and Categories
Description of funds and major revenue categories
Classification of funds
Major categories of revenue
Revenue estimating considerations
Revenue estimation models
Procedures for estimating revenues
Conclusion
Exercise: Revenue Estimations
Notes
7 Understanding the Property Tax
Working with the Property Tax
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
The Property Tax
Step One—Assessment
Step Two—Exemptions and other reductions
Step Three—Calculations
Step Four—Collection
Three perspectives on the property tax
Exercise: Property Tax Calculations and Communications
8 The Capital Budget Process
Capital Budgets
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Preparing Capital Budgets
Components of the capital budget
Advantages and disadvantages
Developing a capital budget
Conclusion
Exercise: Capital Spending
Notes
9 How to Spend Your Budget Wisely
Budget Execution
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Plans, Management and Control in Budget Execution
The stages of budget execution
Spending money
Expenditure controls
Purchasing
Cash management
Accounting and auditing
Exercise: Budget Execution
Notes
10 Multi-Year Budgets
The Case for a Multi-Year Budget Perspective
How this chapter will be useful
Objectives
Multi-Year Forecasting and Planning
The benefits of looking ahead
Financial forecasts and gap analysis
Impact analysis of budgetary decisions
Multi-year planning for cyclical expenditures
The politics of multi-year forecasts
Conclusion
Exercise: Multi-Year Forecasts
Notes