# The Budget Window

### Property Taxes

Ordinances

Bonds

Police Department

Fire Department

Hospital

Education

Transportation

The Totals

> ### Online Help Table of Contents

> The Budget window reports and lets you adjust your city's budget. It automatically opens every January, unless Auto-Budget (in the Options menu) is selected. It can also be opened manually by selecting Budget in the Windows menu. In 2KNet, your budget is your district's budget--other players have their own budgets. When this page discusses your "city's" budget, it is addressing the particulars of your district.
> You can close the Budget window by clicking on the Done button or in the Close box at the window's top-right.
> The upper-left corner of the Budget window displays your city's name and the the current year and month.

> ### The Numbers

> The Budget window has nine rows of figures that cover all the city's revenues and expenses. Below those figures is a summary of the current financial situation and an estimate of what your finances will be at the end of the year.
> Each revenue or expense has:
> - The name of the revenue or expense.
> - A percentage setting (in most cases) where you set either the tax rate you are charging or the amount of funding you are allotting.
> - A year-to-date figure showing the up-to-the-moment amount that you've spent or made.
> - An annual estimate of what you will have spent or made at the end of the year at the current budget settings.
> - Detailed books showing a monthly breakdown of the revenue or expense. In some cases the book dialog just shows information, but some of the books also allow access to other, more detailed budgeting functions.
> - An advisor who reports current status and/or gives suggestions about what you should do.
> Note: When the Budget window opens automatically at the beginning of a new year, the Year-to-Date column shows the total for the year that just ended and the Annual Estimate column shows estimated costs for the year that is just beginning.
> Below is a detailed explanation of each budget item.

> #### Property Taxes

> Property taxes are your main source of cash for maintaining and expanding your city. You can set the overall tax rate for all zones by clicking on the up- and down-arrows. The minimum tax is 0%, the maximum is 20%. Any taxes you set here will be equally applied to all zones. You can independently set the tax rates for residential, commercial and industrial zones in the Property Taxes Books.
> Clicking on the Books icon displays a detailed report of the year's past and projected tax income. For each month, the following information is given:
> - The residential zone tax rate and tax amount
> - The commercial zone tax rate and tax amount
> - The industrial zone tax rate and tax amount
> - A running total of the taxes that will come due at the end of the year
> At the bottom of the dialog box, you can set individual tax rates for the three types of zones. If you change the tax rates here, the overall rate as shown in the Budget window will display the average of the three rates.
> Click on OK to close the Property Taxes books.

> #### Ordinances

> This line item is a summary of the costs and revenues of all combined city ordinances. These range from education drives to sales taxes to neighborhood watch to an annual carnival.
> You will be given a chance to vote with your fellow city commissioners on the establishing and approval of ordinances that affect the whole map. These programs are established in the Ordinance window, which can opened through the Windows menu. Clicking on the Ordinances books icon will display the specifics of existing ordinances and their fiscal impact.

> #### Bonds

> This line reflects the interest you pay on bond issues.
> If you need cash above and beyond the money you make from property taxes, you can issue municipal bonds, which are basically loans from your citizens. All bonds are issued for $10,000. The interest you pay on outstanding bonds is prime rate plus 1%, plus an additional percentage based on your city's current value and loan rating.
> Clicking on the Bonds book icon opens a dialog box with detailed information and buttons for extra financial transactions.
> For each month of the year, the following information is given: (actual amounts are shown in blue, projected amounts are shown in red.)
> - The bonds you have outstanding
> - The average interest rate you pay on the bonds
> - The monthly amount of interest you pay on the bonds
> - The accumulated total interest paid
> Show Bonds displays:
> - Your district's current loan rating
> - The total number of bonds you have outstanding
> - The current interest rate the bank is paying on your account
> - The interest rate you will pay on a bond if you issue it now
> - The current value of your district (the infrastructure)
> Loan ratings range from AAA to F. Your rating is based on your city value. The higher your rating, the more bonds you can issue and the lower the interest rate you pay on them.
> Issue Bond opens a dialog that tells you the current interest rate for bonds and asks you if you want to issue one. All bonds are $10,000. If you need or want more than $10,000, then you can issue two bonds. If you need or want less, too bad--take the $10,000 and keep what you don't spend in the bank. If your loan rating or city value is too low, you won't be allowed to issue any more bonds.
> Repay Bond opens a dialog that tells you the interest rate on the oldest outstanding bond, and asks if you want to repay it. Bonds are always repaid from the oldest to the newest. During the life of the bond, interest accrues monthly, and is paid out at the end of each year from your city funds.
> You will pay the interest every year until you repay the bond, so once you're flush with cash, pay them off and get out of debt.
> Clicking on OK closes the books.

> #### Police

> This is the cost and funding level for police departments in your city. You can set the percentage of funding for your departments by clicking on the up- and down-arrows. In general, try to keep police funding as high as possible to prevent rampant crime. Any funding you set will be equally distributed to all police departments. Complete funding for a police station is $100 per year.
> Clicking on the Books icon displays a detailed report of the year's past and projected police funding costs. For each month, the following information is given:
> - The number of police stations in the city
> - The funding level you have set
> - The actual monthly cost to fund your stations
> - A running total of the yearly cost
> There are no additional buttons or functions here, so just click on the OK button to close the books.

> #### Fire Department

> This is the cost and funding level for fire departments in your city. You can set the percentage of funding for your departments by clicking on the up- and down-arrows. In general, try to keep fire funding as high as possible for both preventing fires and responding to emergencies. Any funding you set will be equally distributed to all fire departments. A fully funded fire station costs $100 per year.
> Clicking on the Books icon displays a detailed report of the year's past and projected fire funding costs. For each month, the following information is given:
> - The number of fire stations in the city
> - The funding level you have set
> - The actual monthly cost to fund your stations
> - A running total of the yearly cost
> There are no additional buttons or functions here, so just click on the OK button to close the books.

> #### Hospital

> This is the cost and funding level for medical services in your city. You can set the percentage of funding for your hospitals by clicking on the up- and down-arrows. In general, try to keep funding as high as possible to keep your Sims healthy. If you keep your funding at 100% for several decades, the average life expectancy in your city will increase. Any funding you set will be equally distributed to all hospitals. Complete funding for a hospital is $75 per year.
> Clicking on the Books icon displays a detailed report of the year's past and projected medical funding costs. For each month, the following information is given:
> - The number of hospitals in the city
> - The funding level you have set
> - The actual monthly cost to fund your hospitals
> - A running total of the yearly cost
> There are no additional buttons or functions here, so just click on the OK button to close the books.

> #### Education

> This is the cost and funding level for education in your city. This funding supports both schools for the children and colleges for higher learning. Without schools, education in your city will be entirely based on verbal lore, and you will be unable to support high-technology industries.
> You can set the percentage of funding for education by clicking on the up- and down-arrows. Any funding you set here will be equally distributed to all schools and colleges. You can independently set the funding rates for schools and colleges in the Education books. Complete funding for a school costs $25 per year, and a college costs $100 per year.
> Clicking on the Books icon displays a detailed report of the year's past and projected education funding. For each month, the following information is given:
> - The number of schools in the city
> - The funding level for schools
> - The monthly cost to fund schools
> - The number of colleges in the city
> - The funding level for colleges
> - The monthly cost to fund colleges
> - A running total of the yearly cost
> At the bottom of the dialog box, you can set individual funding levels for schools and colleges. If you change the funding levels here, the overall level as shown in the Budget window will display the average of school and college funding levels.
> Click on OK to close the Education books.

> #### Transportation

> This is the cost and funding level for maintaining the transportation system in your city. This funding maintains roads, rails, highways, subways, bridges and tunnels. Without proper funding, your transit systems will deteriorate and commuting and commerce in your city will fall to pieces.
> You can set the overall percentage of funding for your transportation systems by clicking on the up- and down-arrows. Any funding you set here will be equally distributed to all types of transportation. You can independently set the funding rates for roads, rails, highways, subways, bridges and tunnels in the Transit Authority Books. Complete transit authority funding per year is: Roads $1 per 10 tiles; Rails $1 per 5 tiles; Highways $1 per section (4 tiles); Subways $2 per 5 tiles; Bridges $2 per 5 tiles; Tunnels $2 per 5 tiles.
> Clicking on the Books icon displays a detailed report of the year's past and projected transit authority funding. For each month, the following information is given:
> - The cost of road maintenance
> - The cost of rail maintenance
> - The cost of highway maintenance
> - The cost of subway maintenance
> - The cost of bridge maintenance
> - The cost of tunnel maintenance
> - A running total of all transit costs
> At the bottom of the dialog box, you can set individual funding levels for roads, rails, highways, subways, bridges and tunnels. If you change the funding levels here, the overall level as shown in the Budget window will display the average of all these funding levels.
> Click on OK to close the Transit Authority Books.
> Don't forget that anytime you're in a fix about funding for these various Budget window boondoggles, or if you need to hear the voice of the people regarding specific district needs, you can always click on the question mark button next to the Books button for any category. If there's any advice to be given, you'll see it there in the Advice window.

> ####
> Contracts

> This item displays the fiscal impact of any contracts you have entered into with your fellow players. See the Contracts page for details.

> ####
> The Totals

> The bottom of the Budget window shows the totals for:
> - Year-to-Date Cashflow
> - Estimated Annual Cashflow
> - Current Funds
> - (Estimated) End of Year Funds

> ### Back to Top of Page

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