Dhruv Tapadia

UM4000-2

Municipal Finance- Budgeting

The municipal finance system of Dholka Municipality —an evolving Class A municipality—was studied to assess its institutional structure, budgeting practices, and financial planning. The project aimed to understand operational roles, revenue mechanisms, and the overall fiscal health of the municipality. The study examined budget documents, digital finance platforms, and departmental workflows, while field consultations provided insights into administrative challenges and service delivery gaps.  Field visits and stakeholder consultations were conducted to study property tax collection, expenditure practices, and grant management. The studio also examined service-level benchmarks and financial indicators to assess the municipality’s fiscal performance over recent years. Through this, a comprehensive understanding of Dholka’s financial management system and its alignment with governance frameworks was developed. 


Report Content

Overview of Dholka Municipality

Dholka’s municipal finance system

Organizational structure and departmental roles in Dholka Municipality’s finance and tax system.

Timeline and practices of Dholka Municipality’s budget preparation process with citizen awareness insights

Expenditure distribution and five-year budget trend analysis of Dholka Municipality

Trends in revenue and capital income-expenditure patterns in Dholka Municipality over five years

Comparison of budgeted vs actual income and expenditure, with grant dependency and utilization insights for Dholka Municipality.

Service-level fiscal performance indicators assessing financial health of Dholka Municipality

Summary of key issues and proposed vision for strengthening Dholka’s municipal finance system

Proposal framework outlining budgeting improvements, citizen input channels, and Excel-based financial planning tools for Dholka Municipality