Even though government budget documents are public, it can be challenging to find and analyze the details and synthesize all the fiscal data into an accurate and meaningful summary. Funding streams from almost all departments of a city or county’s organizational chart support children, youth, and families in some way. Most of our budgeting systems do not easily lend themselves to answering complex questions about a government’s collective investments in a specific area. Yet, knowing the answer is imperative for making informed and aligned budgeting decisions to support better outcomes within our communities.

This is where fiscal maps can help—and where your position and expertise as a government finance officer are essential. As a knowledgeable financial leader, you are best equipped to extract key funding details from the myriad of complex budget documents and distill that data into a format that lawmakers, advocates, and community members can use and understand.

• Publication date: October 2023
• Authors: Ed Harrington and Amelia Vaughn