The budget cycle is the recurring annual process of planning, approving, implementing, and evaluating a government's budget. For most municipalities, the cycle includes: planning and preparation (often beginning six or more months before the fiscal year), departmental budget development, administrative review and compilation, council presentation and public consultation, deliberations and amendments, formal approval, implementation during the fiscal year, monitoring actual results against budget, and year-end reporting. As one budget year is being implemented, planning for the next year begins, creating an overlapping continuous cycle. Understanding the cycle helps citizens know when to engage to influence budget priorities.