Since the final budget can only be an estimate, what happens when the actual spending or revenues is higher or lower than expected?
If City finances are healthy, the City will complete the fiscal year with expenditures lower and revenue higher than anticipated, i.e., in a surplus position. As excess City funds are identified, they generally are used to fund supplementary appropriations to the current year's budget, used to fund extraordinary or emergency projects, or unplanned capital projects as they arise.

A far more serious situation exists when revenues are overestimated and/or unbudgeted expenses are incurred, so that a potential deficit situation exists. In such instances, immediate action has to be taken to curtail spending. There is little, if any, opportunity to pursue the alternative remedy, that is, to increase revenue yields, once the budget has been approved.

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1. How is the City Manager chosen?
2. What are the City Limits?
3. If I have a complaint about Mediacom, who do I contact?
4. What is the budget?
5. If I have a complaint airplane or jet noise who do I contact
6. Why do governments budget?
7. Why does the budget begin in the middle of the calendar year?
8. What are the legal responsibilities of the City Manager and the City Council regarding budget setting?
9. Since the final budget can only be an estimate, what happens when the actual spending or revenues is higher or lower than expected?
10. When will Apache Junction landfill reach capacity?
11. Where can I find the City Code On-Line?