Timeless or Trendy: Debating the Staying Power of Common Budget Fads

For the past 50 years, governments have discovered the "perfect" solution to address budgeting challenges only to revert back to their prior approach a few years later. At GFOA, we have witnessed the rise and fall of zero-based budgeting, budgeting for outcomes, participatory budgeting, biennial budgeting, and more only to see the trend revived a few years later.

In this session, a panel of experienced budget professionals will debate the pros and cons of some of the most popular budget trends and help identify which reforms have merits and which trends need to be retired for good. This interactive session will allow attendees to share their perspectives and experiences on trends and help identify the budget styles everyone is likely to embrace next.