Introduction to Local Government Finance

This introductory course provides basic instruction in local government and public authority finance and financial management. Areas of instruction include the basic legal authority and requirements governing local government revenues, budgeting processes, cash management, purchasing and contracting, expenditure control, conflicts of interest, fund accounting and financial reporting. The course also provides an overview of the state and local economic issues that inform strategic budgeting decisions.

We have made significant changes to how we will offer this course in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The total hours of instruction and content covered remain the same as in years past, but the method of instruction will be different. The course will incorporate both asynchronous and synchronous elements. It will effectively run for 3 weeks, but is designed to allow for significant flexibility to meet the needs of participants’ varied schedules. Over the course of the first two weeks of the course, which will run from August 17 through August 30, participants will be required to view up to 12 hours of prerecorded content. There will be 11 individual topic recordings, each running roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour. Participants will be given access to all 11 pre-recorded sessions on August 17. It will be up to participants to determine when to view the recordings. (Some might choose to do 1 a day; others may choose to do all of them over the course of 2-3 days.) For the third week of the course, all participants will be required to participate in Zoom calls for a total of two hours each day, according to the following schedule: 

Monday, August 31

9:00-10:00am                    The Annual Budget Ordinance and Budgeting Process

10:30-11:30am                  Property Tax Administration

Tuesday, Sept 1

9:00-10:00am                    Accounting and Financial Reporting

10:30-11:30am                  Cash Management and Disbursements

Wednesday, Sept. 2

9:00-10:00am                    Local Government Revenues

10:30-11:30am                  Revenue Forecasting

Thursday, Sept. 3

9:00-10:00am                    Purchasing and Contracting

10:30-11:30am                    Conflict of Interest

Friday, Sept. 4

9:00-10:00am                    Community Economic Development

10:30-11:30am                  Knowledge Check

In order to earn a certificate for the course, participants will need to view the recordings and fully participate in all of the Zoom calls. If you miss one of the calls, you will not be eligible for the course certificate.

Note that we will provide documentation of the work required over the 3-week period in advance so that you can work with your supervisors to complete all of the course requirements during work hours.