Basic Principles of Budgeting

The annual budget is the finance plan for a public entity to provide services to all the people in the governmental jurisdiction. Taxes and other public funds are used to provide these services. Due to the importance of this public trust in providing critical governmental services, the following guiding principles that promote a successful budgeting process have evolved over many years of experience:

1. Communications should be clear and open to all public officials and the general public.
2. Information developed should be complete and accurate. It should also be available to officials, public, and press.
3. Problems of providing services by the government should be addressed in the budget. If the problems are not solved in a reasonable manner and a reasonable time, then the solutions usually cost more when the public demands action or a higher level of government mandates expensive solutions.