If going through a municipal budget is enough to put you to sleep, you are not alone. According to the C.D. Howe Institute, most municipal budgets are almost impossible for a layperson to understand fully.
The non-profit research organization looked at 31 cities in it's "Grading the Fiscal Transparency of Canada's Cities" report for 2019, and gave both Windsor and London failing grades for the ease in which a layperson could read and understand their budgets.
Four other cities also got an "F"; Durham, Ontario, and Laval, Quebec City, and Longueuil, Quebec.
"Bad budgeting practices impede councillors, taxpayers, and voters seeking accountability from city staff and elected representatives," said the report. "Simple information, such as how much the municipality plans to spend this year, or how its spending plan this year compares with the previous year's plan, is hard or impossible for a non-expert to find."
Only Vancouver, Surrey, and Richmond B.C. received an "A."
The report awarded municipalities points for approving their budgets before the start of the fiscal year, whether spending plans were Public Sector Accounting Standards, and where a layperson would find critical figures in the report.
Marks were docked because Windsor approved its budget 13 weeks into the fiscal year. It also released its 2018 statements in August, costing it points. However, the report rewarded the city for providing totals of operating and capital budgets within the first 15 pages of its budget report.
London got top marks for giving the total of its operating and capital budgets not only early on in the budget but on the same page. It lost grades for approving its budget six weeks after January 1 and releasing its 2018 financial statements in June.
The report suggests municipalities can make their financial statements less confusing by releasing budgets before the start of the fiscal year, using everyday language, and allowing for comparisons of results.
