Tag Archives: Budget Prep

Survival Guide for Local Government Budget Season

By Black Mountain Software | Published October 12, 2015

Feel free to use this image, just link to www.SeniorLiving.Org This microstock required lots of post processing to get the blue tint. I also needed a bounce card to get more detail in the glasses.

We said the “B” word: Budgets. They can be…well, a bugger. Long, complicated, and requiring a lot of analysis. A few “B” words came to our mind when thinking of budget: “boring,” “baffling,” and “bothersome.” But that’s ok, because we’ve pulled together a list of local government best budget practices that are the exact opposite–short and sweet–to assist with your budgeting success.

 

A Clerk’s Survival Guide to Government Budget Planning

Determine What Elements to Include In Your Annual Budget.

Planning the annual budget is a long process, with many daunting tasks and thoughtful considerations. Some budgets are fairly straight forward, while others are specific and complex documents. Read more >

Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, City Clerk Cafe, Government Accounting Standards, Small Cities | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tools To Simplify Budget Preparation

By Black Mountain Software | Published September 30, 2013

Some do it in September.  Some in May.  Some wait until the end of the year.  And some do it ALL YEAR LONG!  Budget Preparation.

If you are one of the many organizations that follow the US federal fiscal calendar, budget preparation is probably on the top of your mind right now. That’s because budget planning and preparation are at the heart of good expenditure management.

No matter how wonderful an organization’s budget execution is, if a poor or unrealistic budget was prepared, the organization will be faced with a myriad of problems. Additionally, budget preparation is not always as straightforward as it may seem because any variety of complicated and unforeseen expenditures can affect costs, such as:

  • Scarce revenues that leave programs competing for funding
  • Volatile expenditures such as the cost of fuel, health care, and payroll that are hard to predict for the future
  • Unforeseen events caused by severe weather such as water main breaks, floods, power outages, water contamination, and emergency response
  • Revenue and income calculations that are directly correlated to the pace of economic growth, development, and population
  • Evolving state, federal, and local laws and/or statues
  • Long term projects and other long term expenditures

Good budget preparation tools can be extremely helpful during the budgeting and expenditure planning process. Read more >

Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Products, Government Accounting Standards | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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