Balancing Act

Balancing Act – City’s Online Budget Simulation Tool

Try Balancing Act: The City of Charlotte’s new online budget simulation tool, to show you how the city’s budget process works and why it impacts your daily life.



​Each year, the City of Charlotte develops its more than $2 billion budget to fund city services and invest
in key programs that improve quality of life in Charlotte. Balancing Act, an online budget tool gives you the power to simulate those funding decisions. Balancing Act will help you learn more about the budget process and share with city staff what you think the city's priorities should be. First, you'll start with a budget that has a $7 million deficit to imitate how city staff begins preparing for a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year. You'll also have a summary of the city council's strategic priorities. Next, you'll have the option to adjust funding and fees until you've balanced the budget or generated a surplus while investing in the areas you believe are most important to resident wellbeing. To use the balancing tool, visit Charlotte NC dot gov forward slash Balancing Act. If you want to team up with friends and neighbors to balance the city's budget at a community or neighborhood association meeting, email the strategy and budget department at Strategy and Budget at Charlotte NC dot gov. Experiment and explore your own unique budgeting solutions today with Balancing Act.

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More about Balancing Act

Do you know how the city’s budget works, or where the money comes from? Do you want to provide feedback on how you think the city should be spending your tax dollars?

  • The Balancing Act budget simulation tool allows you to adjust budgets for various city departments to align resources with the services that matter most to you.

  • The key is that you have to balance the city’s revenues and expenses – in the same way the city has to balance the budget each year before budget adoption.

  • City staff will engage with residents across the city through community budget listening sessions to discuss the community’s budget priorities and to share the tool.

  • As more Charlotte residents come to understand the city’ budget development process, our goal is to increase the opportunities for resident involvement and feedback throughout each upcoming budget process.

  • As more Charlotte residents come to understand the city’ budget development process, our goal is to increase the opportunities for resident involvement and feedback throughout each upcoming budget process.

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