Explore core principles and in-depth research below.
Rethinking Budgeting core principles help local governments create a balanced budget that aligns revenues with expenses, advances strategic goals, meets community needs, adapts to change, and avoids passing costs to future generations.
GFOA engaged 30 members to shape Rethinking Budgeting, focusing on adaptable principles, root causes, interdisciplinary insights, and efficient value delivery.
In-Person
Rethinking Budgeting Readiness Assessment Training
GFOA has developed a tool to assess your organization’s readiness to rethink budgeting. Join us at this interactive workshop on December 10 in Denver, Colorado, to learn what it means to rethink budgeting, become familiar with the resources GFOA has developed, and discover how to use the assessment tool in your organization.
Rethinking Budgeting in Action
Spotlight on the Fort Worth Lab
Over the past few years, the City of Fort Worth, Texas, has been rethinking its approach to budgeting. Recently, outgoing City Manager David Cook—who retired in February 2025 as the city’s longest-serving city manager—and outgoing Deputy City Manager Mark McDaniel, who also retired in early 2025, spoke with GFOA about why the city pursued a new approach, how they got it off the ground, and what some of the early results have been.
