The ROI of Budget Cycle Modernization

Federal funds are shifting. Public expectations are rising. Digital technology is making the world move faster. And another budget season is just around the corner. Public finance teams are realizing that a modern, more efficient, and more transparent approach to budgeting can help them do their work even better — and many are already taking action. 

The good news is, modernizing your budgeting doesn’t mean overhauling your finance department. Over 1,400 communities nationwide have used ClearGov’s modular solutions to streamline their budgeting without starting from scratch. 

Modern budgeting is closer than you think.
Read on to see why.

---

ClearGov boosts efficiency and saves time.
Here’s how.

Streamlined presentation accelerates report compiling, proofreading, and document finalization.

• Christian County, MO used ClearGov to eliminate 70-80 Excel spreadsheets. This saved staff 100 hours over three months. 
• ClearGov enabled Hendry County School District, FL to compile its budget book in 75% less time, with 66% fewer team members.
• Using ClearGov, Rogers County, OK cut its budget and budgetbook preparation time from 700 hours to 20-40 hours.

Automated data synchronization eliminates the need to manually update formulas, reconcile conflicting numbers, and work across dozens of spreadsheets.

• ClearGov helped Chatham County, NC update budget book tables and charts automatically in minutes, rather than manually over multiple hours.
• With ClearGov, Delta County, CO changed an increase in health insurance costs across all personnel budgets in seconds, saving staff hours of manual calculation.
• Red Wing, MN had to manually input and update 117 budget codes. ClearGov automated this process, saving Red Wing about 160 hours.

Alignment-centric interface reduces meetings, phases out back-and-forth emails, and establishes real-time visibility and version control.

• Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority, CA used ClearGov to reduce meetings and internal communications and cut its budgeting time by 65%.
• ClearGov brought Natick, MA’s budget online, eliminating version control issues, phone calls, and the need to print information packets for meetings.
• ClearGov helped Scarsdale, NY eliminate two full days’ worth of capital budget hearings.

ClearGov absolutely changed the way I work with my team. We’ve been able to phase out some of the inefficiencies associated with past practices due to the success and implementation of the ClearGov products.

Steve Greenberg, Assistant Superintendent of Operations,
Tri-Town School Union, MA

ClearGov promotes transparency and engagement. Here’s how.

Interactive web-based documents offer richer visual appeal, easier comprehension, and more ADA-accessible navigation than bulky PDFs and spreadsheets.

• Radnor Township School District, PA’s interactive budget book garnered positive feedback from school board members and stakeholders, and it won an ASBO MBA award.
• ClearGov digitized Rio Blanco County, CO’s budget book, which made it automatically compliant with ADA’s WCAG 2.1 standards and Colorado’s accessibility law.
• Tega Cay, SC’s city council members love how the city’s interactive online budget book breaks down complex items in a single tab.

Digital transparency tools show responsible tax dollar stewardship and restore faith in public agencies — especially following challenging times.

• When dips in revenue led to questions about Page, AZ’s use of public funds, the city leveraged ClearGov to clearly present budget data, legitimizing its expenses.
• Vestavia Hills City Schools, AL used ClearGov to make budget data accessible and understandable after a failed tax vote showed the community’s need for better financial understanding.
• In the wake of the Great Recession and a former official’s misuse of funds, ClearGov helped Vicksburg, MI rebuild public trust through modern, digitized transparency.

Real-time status updates show the public important ongoing project developments, not general annual summaries.

• Chautaqua County, NY’s capital transparency site ensures that planning board members don’t need to request status updates.
• El Campo, TX, uses ClearGov to automatically transform capital requests into project pages visible to citizens, showing  timelines and funding sources.
• Using ClearGov, Milton, GA allows residents to subscribe to progress updates on capital projects that are important  to them.

ClearGov opened up the opportunity for more information and more transparency, in addition to being ADA compliant.

Ileana Kyriakides, Director of Budget and Sustainability,
Coral Springs, FL