State of “Emergency”
Avoiding Emergency Financial Manager is the Focus of Local Government Summit

For the past two years, one of MACPA’s major initiatives has been getting CPAs involved in Michigan’s economic turnaround. Earlier this year, MACPA received a request from Michael Finney, president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, to help local governments and elected officials avoid the need for a state-appointed emergency financial manager (EFM).

Given the “new reality” of revenue and policy in Michigan, the Association’s goal was to provide these governments with tools and best practices for budgeting and making other financial decisions in today’s economy.

To best respond to this unique request, the MACPA Involvement in Michigan’s Turnaround Task Force created the “Reality Education” Conference Planning Subcommittee. The subcommittee worked quickly, and on December 1, less than a year after Finney’s request, government leaders from across the state will come together at the Local Government Leadership Summit on Financial Matters in Lansing.

Presented in partnership by the MACPA, Michigan Association of Counties, Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Townships Association, this Summit aims to help cities, counties, school districts and other government entities implement change without an EFM. Summit attendees will hear from Michigan Treasurer Andy Dillon, along with government officials from across the state sharing their own budgeting experiences.

“Our whole focus is equipping elected officials with the tools and information necessary to avoid an (EFM),” Subcommittee Chair Jon Anibal said. “One of the key factors is making financial information more usable for elected officials who are making decisions on behalf of their government. We need to create more communication between the people preparing the data and those using the data to make more informed decisions.”

This effort to “bridge the gap” between elected officials and their finance department is reflected in the conference’s breakout sessions, which are divided into separate tracks for each group of people. Finance department staff will learn to make financial statements and other reports more understandable for non-financial professionals, while elected officials will learn how to better use the information presented to them by the finance department.

“A lot of our speakers are government officials that have ‘been there and done that’ in terms of addressing these new realities of budgeting,” Anibal said. “They’ll be discussing their experiences with reorganization and downsizing, and sharing what worked for them and what didn’t. We hope that attendees will be able to take those practical ideas and incorporate them into their budgeting process.”

Other topics covered at the Summit include Cost Controls, Change Management, Managing the Employment Budget Line Item and Debt Management in a Leveraged Age, among others.

Registrations for the Local Government Leadership Summit on Financial Matters are still being accepted. To learn more or to sign up, visit this webpage or view the program brochure. You can also get more information by calling the MACPA at 855.594.4273.