Revised Criteria - Long-Term Outlook

Revised Criteria - Long-Term Outlook

Criteria includes both “primary questions” and “secondary questions.”  Primary questions are intended to apply to all (or almost all) governments and will be used to determine scores for completeness. Secondary questions are intended to provide additional guidance and options for communicating information.  Secondary questions may not apply to all governments and should only be included in budget communications if relevant to a particular targeted audience.  

Budget Questions

How do current budget decisions impact the long-term fiscal outlook for the government
  • Do current decisions help or hurt the long-term fiscal outlook for the organization? 

How does the current budget impact reserve levels?
  • What type of reserves are maintained? 
  • What is the strategy for maintaining reserves? 
  • Are reserves dedicated for a specific purpose? 
  • How do current reserve levels compare to policy? 

Are any expenses deferred to future budgets (operating or capital)?
  • What is the justification of deferring costs to future budget years? 

Does the budget create any long-term spending obligations?
  • Are there any new maintenance or operational costs for new assets? 
  • Does the budget add positions that will need to be maintained? 
  • Are there any new contractual obligations that require payments in future years? 

What were trends from prior years and their impact on future outlook?
  • What are overall revenue and expense trends and what is impact on the long-term fiscal outlook? 
  • What trends are expected in the future? 
  • How likely are different scenarios? 
  • Was the government accurate with past forecasts? 
  • Do you plan for different scenarios? 

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