Budget Simulator

Adjust spending and revenue to explore how changes affect the budget balance.

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Simulating budget for:
Total Revenue
$18.7B
Includes $4.0B est. grants & other revenue
Balanced
Total Spending
$18.7B
Revenue covers spending. The budget is balanced.

Adjust Budget Line Items

Impact Summary

No significant changes have been made yet. Expand a department or revenue source and adjust the sliders to explore different budget scenarios.

How to use the simulator:

  • Use the Expenses tab to adjust department spending line items
  • Use the Revenue tab to adjust revenue sources (when available)
  • Click on a department or revenue source to expand it and see individual line items
  • Use the sliders to increase or decrease each line item
  • The balance indicator shows whether revenue covers spending in real-time
  • Green = surplus or balanced, Red = deficit (spending exceeds revenue)
  • Locked items cannot be adjusted (debt service, legal obligations, or estimated grants)
  • Click "Reset All" to restore the original budget

Important Note

This is a simplified simulation for educational purposes. Real municipal budgeting involves complex legal constraints, multi-year planning, public input processes, and detailed line-item decisions. Changes to the budget require City Council approval and must comply with state law.