Posts filed under 'Finance'

Developing and Retaining a Strong Finance Team

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:

  1. What are some key strategies and tactics for developing a strong finance
    team?
  2. How can you retain your talent?
  3. What are practical and hopefully easy steps to create an effective
    succession plan?
  4. What resources can you tap to aid your efforts?

Post-Call Group Discussion Questions

  1. What’s working to help us develop and retain needed finance talent?
  2. What can we do to enhance our team?
  3. What are the core elements of a succession plan for us?
  4. 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:

Add comment November 8th, 2007

Finding a Great Finance Job

Panelists:

  • Bill Avery, Avery & Associates
  • Terrence Beaman, Finance Director, Placentia
  • Teri Black-Brann, Teri Black & Company
  • Laura Nomura, Finance Director, Hemet

Panel Discussion Questions:

  1. What’s the outlook for finance jobs in local government?
  2. How do you find out about them?
  3. What does it take to get these positions?

Topics for Post-Call Group Discussions:

  1. What are attractive finance job opportunities in our agency?
  2. What can we do to help promising talent prepare for the opportunities ahead?
  3. How can we be an employer of choice for the next generation?

Add comment April 26th, 2007

Building a Successful Finance Career

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:

  1. What are the key building blocks of a successful finance career?
  2. How do you develop them?
  3. What resources are available to help you?
  4. How can you keep balance and perspective with your personal life?

Topics for Post-Call Group Discussions:

  1. What are pathways for developing a finance career in our organization?
  2. How can we help interested employees develop their skills?
  3. Who can help coach our up and comers?

Add comment March 28th, 2007

Property Tax Essentials–What You Need to Know about How County Auditor-Controllers Allocate Property Taxes

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]

Add comment February 20th, 2007

Proposition 218 Update

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:

Add comment August 31st, 2006

Being A Politically Saavy Finance Professional

Mary Bradley (Sunnyvale), Shirley Hughes (Vista), Dave Millican (Santa
Rosa), and Rob Sousa (Benicia) provide insights, policies and processes for
handling political issues, dealing with inquiries from candidates, and
presenting options for decision makers effectively.

Add comment March 20th, 2006

Hot Job Opportunities For Finance Professionals

Don Maruska hosts a panel discussion on job opportunities for finance professionals.

Add comment January 19th, 2006

Mark Alvarado On The CSMFO Coaching Program

Don Maruska talks with Mark Alvarado, 2006 CSMFO President, about the CSMFO Coaching Program.

Add comment January 6th, 2006

Triple Flip - Accounting for the Sales Tax and Property Tax Swap

Recorded October 6, 2005.

Add comment October 6th, 2005

Special PERS Update

  1. PERS Rates: Why have they gone up and where are they likely to go in the future?
  2. The Ins and Outs of Rate Stabilization and Rainy Day Funds
  3. The Hidden Secrets of Airtime Purchases
  4. Pension Reform Update

Panelists:

Alan Milligan, Supervising Actuary, PERS

Dwight Stenbakken, Deputy Executive Director, League of California Cities
John Guthrie, Finance Director, County of Santa Clara and Former Finance
Director, City of San Jose

Co-Moderators:

Mary Bradley, Finance Director, City of Sunnyvale
Don Maruska, Consultant, California Society of Municipal Finance Officers

Add comment June 29th, 2005


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