Revised Criteria - Revenue Budget

Revised Criteria - Revenue Budget

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 much revenue is anticipated?
  • Is revenue recurring or one time? 
  • How do expected revenue amounts change from prior years and what short term trends have been considered?  
  • How does expected revenue compare to other governments?  
  • Has the government changed any policies that impact collection of revenue? 
  • What strategies were used or assumptions made when  forecasting?  

Are revenue sources diverse?
  • What are major sources of revenue? 
  • What are minor sources of revenue? 
  • What is the level of uncertainty with major revenue sources? 
  • What are key assumptions for major revenue sources? 

How much control does the government have over revenue?
  • What options are available to increase revenue? 
  • Does the government have the ability to adjust rates? 
  • How are rates and fees established? 
  • Did rates or fees change from prior years? 

Is revenue restricted for specific purposes?
  • Are any current revenue sources dedicated to a specific purpose? 
  • Does revenue cover the costs of service it is raised from? 
  • Do policies exist that provide cost-reimbursement targets? 

How is revenue burden distributed among the community?
  • How much revenue is collected from non-residents? 
  • How much revenue is collected by sector (residential vs commercial/industrial)? 
  • How much revenue is foregone from public stakeholders excluded from paying full rates (tax-exemption or tax discounts) 

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