Fiscal Health Diagnosis and Practice for Counties
Best practices to assess and communicate county financial health
Sacramento Campus
Today, California counties face an economic recovery among the longest since WWII. The recovery has brought moderate fiscal stability and strength, threatened by an inevitable economic downturn, high pension costs and State and Federal budget problems. This course provides practical information and tools to identify, manage and communicate fiscal challenges. Understand the need for long-term financial analysis and planning to gain stability in services, staffing and messaging to the media and other stakeholders. Discuss indicators of financial distress, gimmicks and short-term fixes often employed to mask that distress, and long-term best financial practices to understand and mitigate threats. A hands-on practical exercise is featured, using the recently developed California County Financial Health Diagnostic tool (pre-course homework is assigned!), with participants walking away with a five-year financial forecast of county General Fund and/or special revenue funds, indicators of the health of those funds, and practical advice on how to communicate results.
Instructors: Martin Polt is the Deputy County Executive Officer and CFO of Nevada County; Christina Rivera is Deputy County Administrator of Sonoma County.
