Understanding the impact of inflation is critical for a municipality when developing budgets and justifying tax increases. This webinar will cover the basics of inflation, the differences between CPI and MPI, and why municipalities should put in the effort to calculate the municipal price inflation that is specific to their own basket of goods.

By calculating municipal price inflation accurately, it becomes easier to explain the need for tax increases to elected officials and the public. Explaining the budget and what influences budget increases to the public is necessary for effective transparency

Learning Outcomes

• Learn the basics of inflation with an understanding of why inflation occurs and how to explain it in layman’s terms.
• Learn how economic influences impact inflation and the key causes of inflation. Gain an understanding of inflationary indicators and how to utilize that information to support municipal budgeting.
• Learn how to identify your municipality’s specific basket of goods and where your key inflation risks are.
• Learn the differences between consumer price inflation (CPI) and municipal price inflation (MPI), and why municipalities should put in the effort to calculate the municipal price inflation that is specific to their own basket of goods.
• Learn how to calculate municipal price inflation accurately, so it becomes easier to explain the need for tax increases to elected officials and the public.
• Get easy-to-use tools to explain municipal inflation to residents.