ABSTRACT

McKinney, Texas, has embarked on a long-term approach to fiscal policy planning that, while not unique, is unusual for a community of only 20,100. McKinney finds itself directly in the path of major northward growth trends. Preparing for the transition to a more metropolitan environment and providing for stable financial conditions during the growth era called for comprehensive and long-term fiscal planning. Since December 1984, McKinney has completed a series of advanced fiscal planning programs that have transformed the city's reactive management style into a more proactive posture and enabled the city to unequivocally exert positive control over its destiny. As a prerequisite to future software models and fiscal strategies, the cost-of-service study was developed. To prepare the cost-of-service analysis, a schedule of factors driving each activity level was designed. The data are updated on a regular basis. The capital improvement program in McKinney was developed from a professional staff base, supported by community input, and prioritized by needs.