With summer ending, finance professionals shift their focus toward strategic planning for the new fiscal year. For many agencies, the budgeting process is cumbersome and convoluted, and the relief of closing last year’s books may be brief. Consider capitalizing on this crucial transition time to lay the groundwork for a successful financial year ahead.

By planning early and employing the right tools and resources, agencies can streamline the budgeting process, enhance financial forecasting accuracy, and optimize resource allocation. However, if year after year your plans implode, tools fail and resources disappear, we can help. NBS is armed with a comprehensive suite of financial solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of government agencies. Here are some of the resources and tools we offer that can assist you in this post-budget season phase:

Special Financing District (SFD) Budget Forecasting Tools
Implementing robust budget forecasting tools can help you project revenues and expenses accurately for your SFDs, enabling you to make informed decisions and anticipate potential financial challenges. NBS offers a variety of customizable budget forecasting tools to meet your agency’s specific needs.

Cost Estimation Tools
Cost estimation tools assist in estimating the costs associated with various maintenance obligations, including capital replacement and reserves, and ensure that budgets are realistic and aligned with organizational goals. In addition to offering customized cost estimation tools for agency use, NBS offers ongoing cost estimation services on a project-by-project basis.

GIS Mapping Services
Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping services contribute valuable insights into spatial data, helping you to visualize budget allocations geographically and make data-driven decisions based on location-specific information. We can build story maps and house them online, offering greater transparency and accountability to the public.

Utility Rate Services
Utility rates and system capacity fees are an important price signal by which public agencies communicate to customers the value of services they deliver. The NBS Utility Rate Group ensures your utility rates, system capacity fees, and financial plans supply an appropriate level of funding and are also justifiable in a fluid legal and regulatory environment. NBS is a strong advocate for our many utility clients to ensure that rates and fees address the multitude of challenges confronting each community – just ask the municipalities where we have performed more than 500 studies!

SFD Formation Services
Need alternative or new funding mechanisms to address projects and issues? Our firm offers specialized district formation and restructuring services to solve financing issues while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Every project is unique, and our experienced team offers a variety of customized financing options to meet your specific needs.

Ongoing Annual District Administration Services
For agencies involved in SFDs or with existing financing tools already in place, NBS can handle the annual administrative requirements, including annual reporting as well as submission of annual levies to the tax roll.

Cost Allocation Plans
Developing effective cost allocation plans is essential for accurately distributing costs across departments or programs. NBS can design customized cost allocation plans tailored to your agency’s specific needs.

As you come up for air from successfully completing your budget cycle, go ahead and celebrate, then start preparing for the next budget season by contacting NBS. With our expertise in financial planning, forecasting, and analysis, we can help you navigate complex financial challenges and optimize your agency’s financial performance.

For details on how NBS can support and enhance your financing and budgeting process, and consult on rates, fees, charges, SFDs and so on, reach out to Tim Seufert, NBS Managing Director, at 800.434.8349 or tseufert@nbsgov.com. Together, let’s build a solid foundation for the future so that you will have reason to celebrate next July!