A Balancing Act

Interested in how Orange County puts together its budget? The Community Relations Department has created a budget simulation exercise titled "Balancing Act." The simulation is perfect for classes or other groups interested in learning about county government and how the Board of Commissioners puts together its budget each year.

The primary duty for a Board of County Commissioners is to adopt the county budget each year. State law requires counties to adopt balanced budgets by June 30 of each year. A county budget reflects the Board of Commissioners’ service priorities.

How It Works

In "Balancing Act," participants are divided into small groups. Each group functions independently as a Board of County Commissioners. Each board will make decisions on increasing, decreasing, or maintaining services. Through these selections, participants will provide input on whether property taxes or other fees should be increased, decreased, or maintained at current levels.

Join the Class

If you are interested in hosting this class, please fill out an application. A minimum of 10 students and a maximum of 30 is requested. The simulation takes 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on the number of participants.