Build Better Budgets for your City

BETTER BUDGETING Makes Your Organization More COMPETITIVE when securing resources to FINANCE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES!

Prepare Better BUDGETS that MARKET Your Community!

Many public administrators with antiquated budgets say they want a better budget for their organization, but few are willing to put in the work to make it happen.

What do the naysayers say?

But it’s the way we’ve always done it here!

That’s what I have heard since 1990 when I started my Finance career in City government.

I tried to introduce the Program / Performance Budget model, because I learned this leads to better budgeting decisions.

Ever since then, I have had to work hard to champion “best practices” and “better budgeting” talks with my colleagues, during the annual Budgeting Calendar preparation.

We had to advance paradigm shifts in public administration that improve public services.

But 80% of the time, my City colleagues and superiors (old guys), would tell me words to the effect of, “why don’t you take your paradigm shifts somewhere else”!

Watch the video below, but here’s an outline of the points I’m speaking about today:

1 Our CUSTOMER deserves the best “product” we can deliver, the budget facilities this.

2. Incorporate in your BUDGET your organization’s vision, mission statement, values statement, policies and procedures, and the culture.

3. Make promises in your BUDGET that no other organization would dare make!

4. Challenge yourself…obligate yourself to success in creating and championing a paradigm shift for the new 2024 BUDGET document.

5. Proposing a NEW BUDGET format to your organization (and governing body) is risky and a lot of work, but it’s an adventure you’ll remember during your entire career.

6. Redesigning your 2024 BUDGET will be an adventure!  Life is more fun and exciting when your job is an adventure.

7. If your organization is a DINOSAUR (they don’t want change), give them 4 week’s notice and go join an INNOVATOR organization where your job is more fun.

8. Remember your budget is a MARKETING opportunity to compete for resources, and even local governments COMPETE with other governments!

Today, after 32 years in City government, I am way more confident in preaching “best practices” in budgeting.

I am thankful that I’m working with public administrators who are more open to taking calculated risks, introducing positive changes to the way we prepare City budgets.

And really, whether you are a local government or a business organization, we can all do a better job of building better budgets.

So, are you ready for an adventure this 2024 Budget season?

Go get your boss to support you as you synthesize the new Budget model in your 2024 BUDGET CALENDAR!

All for now,

John Herrera, CPA

MuniTemps and the CitySpeak blog podcast

Click here to watch video.

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