The consequences of capital budget decisions often extend far into the
future. The consequences are likely to last as long as the useful lives of the
capital assets built or acquired. Thus, when a city builds a new city hall in a
particular style at a downtown site, the city probably will benefit from or
endure the results of that decision for 30 years or more. If planned and
designed well and coordinated with private development, the new city hall
can trigger new investment by businesses in the downtown area.