The COVID-19 experience shows government budgeting can become more nimble

Tim Higashi and Stuart M. Butler look at several examples of innovative ways in which communities responded to COVID-19 by using a variety of special techniques to “braid and blend” funds from different programs and sources to address pressing health, education and other service need. They argue that such special flexible budgeting techniques should not end with the pandemic, but should become an integral feature of budget procedures to enable communities to reach social goals