THE CHALLENGE
The City of San Marcos, California’s budget process was mired in outdated technology. Their annual budget book depended entirely on Excel spreadsheets and physical printingโa cumbersome approach that created data validation risks and required three months of exhausting work. The team regularly endured 12-hour days with mandatory overtime during peak periods, while file management issues left staff unsure which version was accurate.
As Janet Brotherton, Budget & Analysis Manager, explained: “It was stuck in the past. We knew what we were doing was archaic.”
THE SOLUTION
Approximately 4.5 years ago, San Marcos selected Gravity’s budget book solution. The implementation centered on recreating their existing Excel structure within Gravity’s platformโa strategic choice driven by City Council and the City Manager who preferred functional upgrades without major visual shifts. The Gravity team worked directly from San Marcos’s Excel files to ensure smooth adoption.
THE RESULTS
The impact was substantial: greater accuracy, significant time recovery, and reduced stress. The most dramatic improvement? Complete elimination of mandatory overtime and grueling 12-hour days. Their 3-4 person budget book team now maintains standard 8-hour schedules during budget seasonโrecovering hundreds of hours annually. File management problems disappeared, replaced by a centralized system ensuring coordination is effortless and formula accuracy is built-in. San Marcos is also a GFOA award winner for financial reporting, reflecting their commitment to excellence.
LOOKING AHEAD
San Marcos continues broadening their use of Gravity, currently pursuing API integration for automatic uploads and budget monitoring. “People don’t feel like they are going to grow in systems that are stale,” Brotherton noted. “Gravity helps ensure that our team is high functioning.”