Budget Development
The budget is an instrument to set policy and summarize public services provided by the City of Charlotte. It is the annual plan for coordinating revenues and expenditures.
If you live, visit, or work in Charlotte, you use valuable city services. These services are made possible through the city budget, which sets the plan for prioritizing and funding city-provided infrastructure and services.
Overview of the Budget Process
The city’s annual budget is based on a July 1 – June 30 fiscal year and is guided by the following five City Council adopted Strategic Priorities.
Great Neighborhoods
Safe Communities
Transportation, Planning, and Environment
Workforce and Business Development
Well-Managed Government
Each Strategic Priority contains policy initiatives driven by the needs of the community and the organization. The budget process is used to assess and allocate resources to achieve optimal service delivery and advance progress in achievement of the Strategic Priorities. The operating and capital budgets are developed in two phases:
Phase 1 (January – April)
Budget policy development, which is composed of the following:
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City Council engagement regarding policy direction.
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Department services review.
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Staff engagement on performance management activities.
Phase 2 (May – June)
Budget deliberations and adoption, which are composed of the following:
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A presentation of the City Manager's Proposed Budget to the Mayor and City Council.
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Community engagement and feedback through the Public Hearing process.
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City Council adoption of the budget by June 30.
Community Engagement
The city developed the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget and requested input from residents. A summary of Community Engagement efforts and results can be found under “Workshop Summaries” Budget Workshop 3 QA. Reach out to strategyandbudget@charlottenc.gov with any budget-related questions you may have.
Budget Public Hearing
The city manager presented the FY 2024 Proposed Budget on May 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. A public hearing on the proposed budget was held during the May 8, 2023 Business Meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. You may view that meeting City Council FY2024 Budget Presentation to Council - May 1, 2023 - YouTube
Budget Community Input Survey
The City of Charlotte’s Annual Budget Community Input Survey was available until April 9, 2023 for residents to residents to provide feedback on how the city should prioritize its funding. Feedback from the survey will be provided to City Council members in the April 6, 2023, Budget Workshop follow-up packet, and will help the council and the city manager develop a budget that meets the community's needs.
The Balancing Act Budget Simulator
The city's budget simulation tool, Balancing Act, was available until April 9, 2023 for the FY 2024 budget process. Balancing Act allows residents to prepare their own version of the budget by adjusting expenses and revenues. The results of the simulations will be included in the April 6, 2023 Budget Workshop follow-up packet, and will help the council and the city manager develop a budget that meets the community's needs.
Budget Listening Sessions
In February and March, the City of Charlotte Strategy & Budget Department hosted three budget listening sessions to receive real-time feedback on the city's budget process from Charlotte residents. Each listening session began with a short overview of the city’s budget by the city budget director and key staff from operating departments were also in attendance to answer questions in real-time. The comments from the listening session were complied into an engagement report, and shared with city leadership and council to help inform the development of the fiscal year 2024 budget. A copy of the presentation given during the listening sessions is provided below.
Budget Listening Session Presentation(PDF, 1MB)
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