Panelists:
- Josh Betta, Finance Director, South Pasadena
- David Cain, Finance Director, Chino
- Pauline Marx, Chief Assistant Treasurer, San Francisco
- Tina Rivera, Finance Director, Goleta
Panel Discussion Questions:
- What are some key strategies and tactics for developing a strong finance
team?
- How can you retain your talent?
- What are practical and hopefully easy steps to create an effective
succession plan?
- What resources can you tap to aid your efforts?
Post-Call Group Discussion Questions
- What’s working to help us develop and retain needed finance talent?
- What can we do to enhance our team?
- What are the core elements of a succession plan for us?
- How can we gain support for our success?
For Chino’s organizational values mentioned during the panel discussion,
please see page 4 of the Strategic Plan document:
http://www.cityofchino.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2321
Click below to download the program:
November 8th, 2007
Panelists–learn from their diverse perspectives:
- Mary Bradley, Finance Director, Sunnyvale
- Michael Coleman, League Fiscal Policy Advisor
- Tracey Hause, CSMFO Fiscal Policy Chair, Admin. Serv. Director, Arcadia
- Scott Johnson, Finance Director, San Jose
Panel Discussion Questions:
1. What are hot topics that local government finance professionals need to
track?
2. How can you keep up amidst your busy schedules?
3. What are resources to tap when you have a question?
4. When something affects your agency, how can you take action to let your
views be known or influence policies?
Follow Up Discussion Topics:
a. What issues, policies, or actions are most important for our agency?
b. How will we track them?
c. What approach do we want to take to inform or influence decision makers
about our agency’s interests and concerns?
(more…)
October 17th, 2007
Learn how you can use the latest technologies to serve your communities better and work smarter. See live demonstrations via this special webinar.
Panelists:
- John Kamensky, Senior Fellow IBM Gov’t Center
- Kirk Biglione, Oxford Media Works
- Laura Peabody, CIO, Walnut Creek (and MISAC President)
- Kristy Schmidt, Employee Relations Mgr., Santa Barbara
- Bill Statler, Finance & IT Director, San Luis Obispo
Questions for Panelists:
- What tools can you use to communicate with constituents more effectively?
- How can technology help you resolve difficult issues in your community?
- What technologies can improve your internal operations?
- How can you put the technology already on your desktop to better use?
- How can you keep up on the latest trends?
Questions for Follow Up Discussion:
- Where can we use technology in our agency to communicate more effectively with our constituents?
- Where do we have difficult issues (internally or externally) that technology can help us resolve?
- What are some specific priorities or actions that we can take now to boost our results?
(more…)
September 19th, 2007
Co-sponsored by the CSMFO and Cal-ICMA Coaching Programs
Panelists:
- Jay Goldstone, Chief Financial Officer, San Diego
- Ken Hampian, City Manager, San Luis Obispo
- Cynthia Kurtz, City Manager, Pasadena
Panel Discussion Questions:
- What are examples of tough issues and what’s helped resolve them?
- How can local government professionals aid elected officials and
communities in reaching agreement?
- What can you do to avoid problems?
- What resources are available to help?
Topics for Post-Call Group Discussions
- Where have we faced tough issues and what lessons have we learned about how to handle them?
- What are some current or upcoming issues where we need to have a
carefully developed plan on how to approach them?
- How can we apply what we’ve learned from this panel to enhance our success?
Click below to download the program:
May 9th, 2007
Panelists:
- Bill Avery, Avery & Associates
- Terrence Beaman, Finance Director, Placentia
- Teri Black-Brann, Teri Black & Company
- Laura Nomura, Finance Director, Hemet
Panel Discussion Questions:
- What’s the outlook for finance jobs in local government?
- How do you find out about them?
- What does it take to get these positions?
Topics for Post-Call Group Discussions:
- What are attractive finance job opportunities in our agency?
- What can we do to help promising talent prepare for the opportunities ahead?
- How can we be an employer of choice for the next generation?
April 26th, 2007
Panelists:
- Mark Alvarado, Admin. Serv. Director, Monrovia
- Jesse Baloca, Finance Director, San Leandro
- Anita Lawrence, Consultant, Ventura Regional Sanitation Dist.
- Jerry Rogers, Asst. Dir. for Finance & Customer Rels., Riverside Public Utilities
Panel Discussion Questions:
- What are the key building blocks of a successful finance career?
- How do you develop them?
- What resources are available to help you?
- How can you keep balance and perspective with your personal life?
Topics for Post-Call Group Discussions:
- What are pathways for developing a finance career in our organization?
- How can we help interested employees develop their skills?
- Who can help coach our up and comers?
March 28th, 2007
Panelists:
- Dave Elledge, Controller-Treasurer, Santa Clara County Dave started and led the Property Tax Apportionment Audit Program for the State Controller’s office in 1986-88; served in the Auditor-Controller offices of Siskiyou, Monterey, and Santa Clara counties; and participated in guideline committees on ERAF I and II and SB 1096 Triple Flip and ERAF III.
- Mary Bradley, Finance Director, Sunnyvale “I’ve learned so much from Dave that’s been critical to our city’s finances. This is must-have information for all CSMFO members.”
- Don Maruska, Director of the CSMFO Coaching Program, moderates the call.
Gain a step-by-step understanding of where you get your property taxes, how the system works, and recent legislation (Triple Flip and VLF Swap). This information is essential for revenue forecasting (including redevelopment), annexations, and incorporations.
Dave Elledge has written the eBook, “Demystifying the California Property Tax Apportionment System” (2006). Please download this book so that you can follow the specific examples that Dave discusses. Click here to download the eBook free of charge.
Key Discussion Questions [with eBook References]
1. Why do you receive the property tax amounts that you do? Why do similar agencies receive widely different amounts? (SB 154) [Read Chapter 2 to prepare.]
2. How is your agency’s share in the growth of property tax determined? What are the methods for calculating tax increments for redevelopment agencies and who pays it? (AB 8) [read Chapter 3 to prepare]
3. What are the effects of the Triple Flip and VLF Swap on the Property Tax Administrative Fees? (SB 2557) [read Chapter 9 to prepare]
February 20th, 2007
Michael Colantuono, Colantuono & Levin, PC
Mark Alvarado, Admin. Services Director, Monrovia
Mary Bradley, Finance Director, Sunnyvale
1. Hear Michael Colantuono give his expert insights on this critical topic.
- Implications of the California Supreme Court’s most recent Prop 218 ruling
for utility rates.
- Process you need to use to adopt your rates…and consequences if you
don’t.
- Restrictions on your use of utility proceeds.
- Future developments in Prop 218 (potential legislation and assessment
cases).
[see Metered Utility Rates Subject to Proposition 218 (from Colantuono &
Levin July 2006 newsletter]
2. Learn from Mark Alvarado how the City of Monrovia is dealing with these
new requirements.
3. Listen to questions and answers moderated by Mary Bradley.
Click below to download the program:
August 31st, 2006
(cosponsored with Cal-ICMA)
Tony Gelphman, IT Manager, Redwood City, Keone Kali, IT Director, Beverly Hills, and Deepak Sindwani, Principal, Comcast Interactive Capital discuss the leading new technologies, future developments, ways to manage technology, and helpful resources to keep up to date.
Click below to download the program:
May 25th, 2006
Karen Brust, Finance Director and Treasurer, San Diego County Water
Authority, Dave Childs, ICMA Western U.S. Director, Kevin Duggan, City
Manager, Mountain View, and Will Randolph, Exec. Dir., County Admin.
Officers Assn. of California, discuss ethical standards, dealing with gray
areas, and practical ways to promote an ethical organization.
May 1st, 2006
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