What it's done is balance the books by state aid and by dipping into reserves, which to me doesn't suggest that the city budget is really sustainable. (investigativepost.org)
In college, I worked a night audit job where I could balance the books in a few hours, sleep and get paid. (entrepreneur.com)
Even in the old days, people tried to correct poor posture by balancing books on their heads! (meaningfulwomen.com)