finance

When you accepted your position as a local official, whether through election or appointment, you thought “How hard can this be?  Budget’s sound simple, I know what taxes are.  Government finances can’t be that different.”  Now after having had your position for a while, you realize just how different government finances are from the real world.  You might be asking yourself who is responsible for which piece of finances?  What is fund balance?   How is the tax rate actually calculated?  Why is segregation of duties important and how can we segr

The purpose of establishing a capital planning policy is to promote consistency and continuity in decision making related to capital improvements. The policy should align with overall goals and objectives regarding the physical and economic development of the municipality, asset management, and the provision of public services. A well-designed policy will promote financial stability and focus attention on long-term financial capacity to meet capital needs.

The issuance of debt creates a long-term commitment requiring a municipality to make payments of interest and principal for up to 30 years. Such a long-term commitment obligates funds that would otherwise be available to respond to changes during that period, such as citizen demands for new or additional services, revenue shortfalls or unanticipated expenditure increases. The primary purpose of a debt policy is to provide written guidelines that establish the parameters regarding the amount and type of debt that a municipality may issue.

There are three primary purposes for adopting an investment policy. The first is to establish the investment philosophy, addressing such issues as the level of risk the municipality is willing to tolerate in exchange for a return on its investments, and whether or not funds should be invested with local, statewide or national financial institutions. The second is to provide guidelines and directives to the municipal official statutorily responsible for investment activities, which is usually the treasurer.

Public expenditure policy is a continuous political/bureaucratic process through which municipalities decide which activities should be undertaken by the government; and what is the most efficient and effective way of producing those public sector programs and services. Basically, expenditure policies are designed to ensure proper funding of services with the limited resources available while protecting the municipality from waste, fraud, and abuse. 
 

Local governments are required to establish and maintain adequate internal controls for purposes of financial reporting, managing operations, and legal compliance. Effective internal control is an integral part of a municipality’s governance system and ability to manage risk. One of the primary goals of internal controls is to create a separation of accountability and duties among municipal officials or employees. Join us to discuss internal control standards and how to establish and maintain and improve internal controls and the segregation of duties within your organization. 

The Budget and Finance workshop is targeted at municipal officials and employees involved in the budgeting process, including members of governing bodies and budget committees, town managers, administrators, department heads and finance staff.  The training is mainly focused on the Municipal Budget Law, RSA 32, and will not delve into the unique characteristics of education funding. This essential budget training will be presented by NHMA's Tammy Letson, Government Finance Specialist, Stephen Buckley, Senior Legal Services Counsel and Jonathan Cowal, Legal Services Counsel.

The MS-434 directly impacts the tax rate and indirectly impacts the changes to fund balance at yearend.  Just because money has been received does not mean it belongs on the MS-434.  Conversely, just because money has not been received, does not mean it should be left off the MS-434.  We will discuss the use of fund balance and how it both impacts your tax rate and affects your yearend fund balance.  Finally, we will help you determine who should sign the form and what to upload to the portal.

The Academy for Good Governance is a series of seven courses created by the NH Municipal Association (NHMA) and Primex, exclusively for elected governing body members (select board, town council, city council, board of aldermen, school board, and village district commissioners).  Courses are taught by experienced attorneys and staff from NHMA, Primex, HealthTrust, and the New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA).  Attendees will receive education and training intended to make them more knowledgeable and effective in their governing body roles.