Taking the Pulse of Local Government Finance

Just how widely adopted are the practices espoused by GFOA? This is an important question that did not have a good answer … until now. In summer 2024, GFOA partnered with Civic Pulse to conduct a national survey exploring how widely GFOA-recommended practices are adopted by local governments. With 497 responses from municipalities and counties across the U.S.—including both members and non-members—the survey offers new insight into the current state of public finance. Topics covered include the location of the budget function, financial planning time horizons, gaps between aspirations and reality in budgeting, top concerns of budget officers, public engagement efforts, and self-evaluations of financial management. This summary report provides a snapshot of where local governments stand today and highlights opportunities for continued growth and support in the profession.

• Publication date: July 2025