Budget & Forecasting
DLS provides guidance on sound budgeting practices and financial forecasting. For more information and related resources, visit our Budgeting and Long-range Financial Planningpage.
- Budget and Tax Rate Planning Tool (Excel) allows a community to input data and review tax rate options and shifts.
- Budget to Tax Rate Recap Calendar and Template (Excel) guides municipal finance officials with the processes from budget development through tax rate submission to ensure communities meet deadlines, avoid tax rate setting delays, and maintain a stable cash flow throughout the fiscal year.
- Cash Flow Analysis and Forecast Tool (Excel) is an essential treasury tool to enable informed decisions regarding cash position and investments. A cash flow analysis is the process of examining how money moves into and out of your municipality, evaluating liquidity and ensuring there is cash on hand to cover daily operating expenses and pay down debts and fixed costs. A cash flow forecast is a financial tool that estimates the money a municipality expects to bring in (cash inflows) and pay out (cash outflows) over a specific period.
- Sample City Budget Calendar (Excel)
- Sample Town Budget Calendar (Excel)
- City/Town Appropriation Template (Excel)allows municipal clerks to internally track all article/orders on a town/council meeting warrant.
- Debt Service Calculator (Excel) allows a municipal finance official to project debt service.
- Financial Forecasting Template – 5 year (Excel)
- Financial Forecasting Template – 10 year (Excel)
- Financial Forecasting Manual – Template Instructions (PDF)
This PDF is the instructional guide that accompanies the Financial Forecasting Template. - Financial Indicators Template (Excel) allows municipal finance officials to enter relevant historic data, most of which is available through DLS Municipal Databank, to view performance trends for each indicator. Here is a series of videos explaining how to use this template.
Capital Planning
Capital planning is a key component of the annual budget process. For more information and resources related capital planning, visit our Capital Planning page.
- Capital Improvements Planning Guide (PDF) outlines the ten steps needed to establish a comprehensive capital improvement program (CIP) and includes an appendix with a sample bylaw, policies, and calendar helpful for implementing a CIP.
- Capital Planning and Budgeting workbook (Excel) includes a sample calendar and allows you to track capital projects, assets, facilities, and financial targets.
- Capital Projects Request Form (PDF)
- Capital Targets Workbook (Excel) provides a municipal finance official with a summary of the general fund debt and cash capital analysis.
- Debt Service Calculator (Excel) allows municipal finance officials to project debt service.
- Tax Impact Calculator (Databank report) when used in conjunction with the debt service calculator, allows municipal finance officials to project the impact on tax bills of a debt exclusion.
Debt & Borrowing
Many communities finance capital projects through debt issuances. For more information and related resources visit our Debt & Borrowing page.
- Debt Schedule Template (Excel) allows finance officials to manage debt service requirements for each fiscal year.
- Debt Service Calculator (Excel) allows municipal finance officials to project debt service.
- Explanation of Moody's Bond Ratings (PDF)
- Explanation of Standard and Poor's Bond Ratings (PDF)
- Borrowing Guidelines: Asset Useful Life Schedules and Maximum Borrowing Terms (PDF)
- Tax Impact Calculator (Databank report) when used in conjunction with the debt service calculator, allows municipal finance officials to project the impact on tax bills of a debt exclusion.
Tax Rate Setting Process
To set a tax rate, a municipality must submit a “Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet”, also called “the recap”, to DLS’ Bureau of Accounts (BOA). For more information and related resources visit our Tax Rate Setting page.
- Budget and Tax Rate Planning Tool (Excel) allows a community to input data and review tax rate options and shifts.
- Budget to Tax Rate Recap Calendar and Template (Excel) helps guide the processes from budget development through tax rate submission to ensure communities meet deadlines, avoid tax rate setting delays, and maintain a stable cash flow throughout the fiscal year.
- City/Town Appropriation Template (Excel)allows municipal clerks to internally track all article/orders on a town/council meeting warrant.
- Debt Service-Debt Exclusion Calculator (Excel) allows municipal finance officials to project debt service.
- Interactive Assessors Annual Calendar
- Property Tax Data and Statistics
- Tax Impact Calculator (Databank report)
- Residential Exemption Calculator (Databank report)
- Residential to CIP Shift Calculator (Databank report)
Tools for Financial Offices
The following tools and templates assist municipal finance officials with managing day-to-day operations.
- Cash Book Manual (PDF)
Provides direction on completing the cash book, as well as general guidance on general treasurer cash activities. - Cash Book Template (Excel) is a series of Excel worksheets (three interconnected worksheets per month) as a tool for maintaining and reconciling a proper cash book.
- Debt Schedule Template (Excel)
- Accounts Payable Workflow (Excel)
- Revenue Turnover Workflow (Excel)
- Interactive Assessors Annual Calendar
Municipal Databank Reports, Dashboards and Visualizations
The Division of Local Services’ Data Analytics and Resources Bureau analyzes and distributes data related to local government. All analytics use data submitted to DLS by individual cities, towns, special purpose districts, regional school districts, and state and federal agencies. View reports and visualizations.
| Date published: | July 30, 2020 |
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| Last updated: | June 14, 2023 |