Municipal Assistance Center

Presented by VLCT's Sarah Macy, Government Finance Specialist, this session focused on best practices, common frustrations, and helpful grant management strategies for the finance officer. Whether you are actively involved in grant writing, reporting, and requisitioning or only compiling data each year for a single audit, this session detailed plenty of useful information, and included ample time for participants to share their experiences. 

Presented by VLCT's Sarah Macy, Government Finance Specialist, this session takes a deep dive into the categories of fund balance defined by GASB Statement 54 and the elements of financial statements defined by GASB Concept Statement 4.   

Fund balance discussions will include:  

Sarah Macy, VLCT's Government and Finance Specialist, will continue the discussion of governmental accounting fundamentals by examining the financial reporting model for governments along with what makes governmental accounting different. Join your peers to learn about modified accrual accounting and the current resources measurement focus, and how these differ from accrual accounting and the economic resources measurement focus used in businesses.  

In this training Sarah Macy, VLCT Government Finance Specialist, will explain and discuss fund accounting and the types of funds available to Governments.  Fund accounting is a foundational concept in understanding the broader topic of governmental accounting. Attendees will review and/or learn  

• What a fund is and why it is a critical component of sound financial management in government. 
• The eleven different fund types available for governments, when each would be used, and examples of each. 

Once voters adopt the Australian ballot voting method for conducting some or all of town business, there are legal requirements and deadlines for town officials to meet before Town Meeting. Attendees will learn the basic legal requirements when using Australian ballot voting including:   

Vermont’s property tax system is complicated and a frequently litigated field of Vermont municipal law. To help clarify things for you, this session begins with an overview of the role and responsibilities of the delinquent tax collector and the municipal property tax process, including when taxes become delinquent, issuance of the warrant, and calculating interest. This training will also address the legal requirements for notifying delinquent taxpayers, accepting payments, allocating partial payments, and record keeping.

The role of zoning administrator (ZA) can vary from town to town, but Vermont law defines the standard minimum duties each must fulfill. This session will cover the source, scope, and limits of those statutory duties. The speaker, a former ZA himself, will also have information on other zoning administrator responsibilities and special issues that ZAs may encounter. This foundational training will be most useful for new zoning administrators but will also be a valuable refresher for veterans. Please bring your questions and experiences to share during the discussion time. 

Each year, as municipal budgets grow and sources of revenue become more diverse, the task of auditing municipal financial records becomes more difficult. Current Vermont law doesn’t require locally elected auditors to have any education or experience in bookkeeping or accounting. This training will provide an overview of legal requirements of the annual elected auditors’ report as well as information to help elected auditors fulfill their responsibilities under Vermont law.

Part three of the Finance Friday series invites municipal finance staff – from bookkeepers to finance directors – to pose work-related questions and get answers in a way that is engaging and interactive. Each part focuses on a specific topic that affects the day-to-day financial operations of municipalities. In this collaborative environment, each topic discussion also has ample time to ask questions and troubleshoot related issues in a group setting. Every session is an opportunity to discuss best practices, guidelines, and standards for financial management.

In October, cannabis stores can open. During this session, representatives from the Vermont Cannabis Control Board (CCB) will review the municipal authority to regulate retail cannabis establishments and the role of the CCB in retail operations. The speakers will describe the roles and responsibilities of the CCB, local cannabis control commissions, and law enforcement in maintaining compliance with cannabis regulations. This live webinar will have time for Q&A.  

Recorded:  September 14, 2022