Interactive Fiscal Plan

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Montgomery County Council created a web-based tool known as the Interactive Fiscal Plan that can be used by policy makers and the public to show the long-term fiscal impacts of budget decisions. This new tool is part of Montgomery County’s initiative to establish greater transparency and access to the workings of local government. The Interactive Fiscal Plan allows users to input alternative revenue and expenditure assumptions in the County’s six-year budget projection known as the Fiscal Plan. This tool calculates the cumulative six-year effect of adjusting the assumed average annual rate of change for major Fiscal Plan variables including revenue generation, agency spending and debt service payments. The Interactive Fiscal Plan helps policy makers and the public examine how recurring revenue and expenditure patterns influence budget decision making and informs the user about the trade-offs involved in balancing the budget. The web-based version of the model can be accessed through the Council and Office of Legislative Oversight’s home pages. The model includes background information, step-by-step instructions, and a help function. In addition, the model includes definitions of budget terms and explanations of the considerations and limitations that shape budget decision making. To experiment with the model go to http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OLO/index.html.