Springtime means flowers and birds, but in many municipalities,
it also means budget planning. That word—“budget”—tends to
equate to sheets of columns of numbers, strange words and
abbreviations from the world of finance, and daunting dismay.
But the budget process does not have to be that way. Here are
some ways to improve your skills in budget planning. Be an
Expert Your tasks in police finance are a work in progress. You
learn from successes but also from the mistakes you or others
have made. Keep a notebook or computer journal of your
experiences, both good and bad. Include notes about where you
found help, Web sites that answered your questions, the phone
numbers and e-mail addresses of people you contacted who knew
what they were talking about, and ideas you want to explore
further. Enroll in finance courses or continuing education
workshops at your local community college or university, or take
in-person or online courses with organizations of which you are
a member. Web surf for the course or webinar