Government Finance Review articles from June 2005

Government Finance Review archives from June 2005

Global information sharing.([from the editors])
June 1, 2005... In carrying out its mission to "enhance and promote the professional management of governments for the public benefit," GFOA does not confine itself to the United States and Canada. Best practices in government financial management can be found...

IRS study: gap in tax collections exceeds $300 billion per year.(Internal Revenue Services)
June 1, 2005... The preliminary results of an Internal Revenue Services study of compliance with the tax laws show that the gross tax gap--the difference between what taxpayers should pay and what they actually pay on a timely basis--exceeds $300 billion per...

Revenues exceeding forecasts, but states still treading water.(News & Numbers)
June 1, 2005... While most states report that revenues are surpassing estimates, spending pressures for K-12 education and Medicaid continue to plague state budgets. This is the finding of the latest survey of legislative fiscal offices by the National...

Philadelphia going wireless.(News & Numbers)
June 1, 2005... Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street announced in April the details of a plan to provide wireless Internet access throughout the city. Developed by the 17-member Wireless Philadelphia Executive Committee, the plan aims to promote economic...

New releases.(book)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2005... Internationally renowned facilitator and public participation consultant James L. Creighton offers a practical guide to designing and facilitating public participation in environmental and public policy decision making. Written for government...

NLC: federal tax reform must not harm local governments.(News & Numbers)
June 1, 2005... Officials from the National League of Cities in April urged caution when overhauling any aspect of the tax code that would eliminate deductions for state and local taxes and exemptions for municipal bonds. Testifying at the first hearing of the...

The UK'S CIPFA FM model: financial management and effectiveness in public service organizations.(Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy)
June 1, 2005... High-performing organizations consistently demonstrate strengths in leadership, financial management, and performance management. This article focuses on the contribution of financial management to the public sector's ability to achieve its...

Ontario's municipal performance measurement program: fostering innovation and accountability in local government.
June 1, 2005... Emerging from a period of reform in the municipal environment, the Ontario government in 2000 launched mandatory performance measurement program for municipalities in the province. The Municipal Performance Measurement Program requires...

Sweden's Kommuninvest financing cooperative: proving that the best financing solutions are created together.(Kommuninvest)(Company Profile)
June 1, 2005... Municipalities around the globe differ in many respects, but one thing most of them have in common is a desire to obtain the best possible financing terms so that public funds can be directed to the benefit of constituents, not to pay for high...

Achieving government transformation through ERP systems.(Enterprise Resource Planning)
June 1, 2005... Editor's note: This article is adapted from a forthcoming GFOA book entitled Enabling Technologies for Government Transformation: ERP and Beyond. The authors are co-editors of this book. The public sector has marched steadily toward the...

Work pressure: get control before it controls you.
June 1, 2005... We all know what it is like to feel as though pressures at work are going to kill you. We have faced impossible deadlines. We have run full steam ahead to tackle unbearable workloads. We have juggled too many things that needed to be done at...

Taking charge of your fund structure: the use of unnecessary funds in external financial reports needlessly adds to the length and complexity of these reports and can increase audit fees. The City of Westlake, Ohio, has developed a policy to ensure that superfluous are not included in the CAFR.(Best Practices)
June 1, 2005... Generally accepted accounting principles define fund as a "fiscal and accounting entity with a self-balancing set of accounts... which are segregated for the purpose of carrying on specific activities or attaining certain objectives in...

10 tips for creating a public sector leadership development program: changing demographics an impending "brain drain," and a need to enhance retention levels are driving public organizations of all sizes to explore tools for ensuring the stability of their workforce.(Management & Careers)
June 1, 2005... The Winter 2004 issue of Public Personnel Management focused on one of the hottest issues facing today's public sector human resources professionals: workforce and succession planning. Numerous agencies are incorporating leadership development...

Help wanted--miracle worker to manage ERP project: finding the right person to manage a technology project is a critical success factor. A new GFOA training course will help governments develop the in-house project management expertise needed to implement sophisticated public sector business applications.(Solutions)
June 1, 2005... What qualities does a project manager need to successfully manage an ERP implementation? Who should we select as our project manager? Whether I am teaching GFOA's ERP acquisition and implementation course or working with a member government on...

10 Years of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: ten years after its adoption, most agree that the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act has raised awareness about the burden unfunded mandates place on state and local governments.(Federal Focus)
June 1, 2005... In 1995, after two years of one of the most effective and aggressive joint lobbying efforts by organizations representing state and local governments, (1) Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of...

Auditor involvement with official statements and Web sites: GFOA believes that as a general rule, state and local governments should be free to publish their audited financial statements as they see fit without obtaining prior permission from the auditor.(The Accounting Angle)
June 1, 2005... The story of the audited financial statements does not necessarily end when a government releases its annual financial report. Governments frequently desire to incorporate the audited financial statements into a later official statement or post...

Delivering services via network-based partnerships.(book)(Book Review)
June 1, 2005... Governing by Network: The New Shape of the Public Sector Published by Brookings Institution Press www.brookings.edu 2004; 224 pages, $18.95 With increased expectations on government to provide better services with greater...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2005... [gfoa events] June San Antonio, Texas (Pre-Conference Seminars) 24 DROPS, PLOPS, and Other- Post-Employment Benefits: Designing Programs that Don't Break the Bank 24 Making the Case: Practical Guidance on How to Prepare a Better...

After 30 years--burning impatience.(Commentary)(Reprint)(Column)
June 1, 2005... Pass the 30-year mark writing the country's first national column focused on state and local government--as I did [in February]--and what do you feel? My answer: burning impatience. Here's this magnificent American federal system, a...