What Does It Take to Rethink Budgeting?

The typical budget process is based on line items and historical precedent. While this does have some advantages, it also has a host of disadvantages that have long been recognized. Those disadvantages are becoming more acute as our society evolves. Many intrepid finance officers have explored new ways of doing budgeting and GFOA's Rethinking Budgeting project is providing guidance for creating a budget differently. But what does it take for a local government to change the way it budgets and plans? In this session, we'll discuss what GFOA research is finding and hear from practitioners who are challenging the long-held status quo to rethink their own budgets and discover potential for a better process that provides stronger outcomes.