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Dear Colleagues and Friends,
The “dog days” of August are upon us and the temperature continues to be 100+ degrees. The only good thing about this weather is that most of us are selling more water and electricity which will mean more funds for the budget. Speaking of budget, I hope all of you have had a successful budget season in spite of the economy. I know that declining property values and decreasing revenues have made this a stressful budget process for almost everyone. These tough economic times have made raising property taxes unpopular with most local governments. Many of us are faced with cutting services and frozen positions. These factors, along with employees who are facing rising health care costs with little or no pay raises, have made the 2010/11 budget one of the most challenging of my career.
It always amazes me that each budget cycle seems more difficult than the last, but somehow, the budget always manages to come together for adoption. This “coming together” is due to the hard work and dedication of finance professionals like you who often put their lives “on hold” until the budget is adopted each fall. I encourage each of you to step back, take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back for a job well done! I also hope you get a chance to relax, unwind and take a break before the next cycle begins. Yes, the year end audit and CAFR is right around the corner.
As the fiscal year is winding down, the fall conference is fast approaching. This year’s conference will be at Moody Gardens in Galveston on November 17 – 19. The theme for this year’s conference is “Fiscal 911 – Restoring Financial Health” and will be filled with presentations aimed at ways to enhance financial recovery. Key note speakers include Steve LaBlanc, City Manager of Galveston who will be sharing insights about Galveston’s recovery from Hurricane Ike and, Joyce Wilson who will share the challenges of being El Paso’s first City Manager. We’re also excited to have Susan Smith, Executive Director of TML Intergovernmental Employee Pool as our closing speaker discussing the impacts of health care reform to local government. In addition, this year there will be two pre-conference sessions, OPEB and PFIA. My thanks to the Program Committee for developing a program that includes so many useful and timely topics. So mark your calendars to join us in Galveston. I hope to see you there!
I ’d also like to thank Charles Cox, City of Farmer’s Branch and Steve Williams, City of Conroe for agreeing to continue to serve as Directors for the GFOAT Foundation. I’d also like to welcome Martie Gillespe, City of Killeen as a new Regional Director, for Region 9. She replaces Elizabeth Deiterich who retired from the City of Bellmead earlier this year.
Lastly, I want to encourage you to get involved! It’s a great way to meet and connect with your peers and make new friends. Start by joining a committee. Give me a call if you’re interested and I’ll be happy to connect you with the appropriate person.
Until next month,
Micki Rundell
President
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GFOAT
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Job Postings and
Resource Directory |
City of Forest Hill-City Accountant
Job Posted on: 9/9/2010
Closing Date: 11/8/2010
Salary: Dependent upon qualifications
CITY OF ROUND ROCK, TEXAS-PURCHASING SUPERVISOR/MANAGER
Job Posted on: 9/2/2010
Closing Date: 10/2/2010
Salary: $22.19 - $30.00 Hourly/$46,155.20 - $62,400.00 Annually
CITY OF SEAGOVILLE, TX-Director of Financial Services
Job Posted on: 8/27/2010
Closing Date: 10/26/2010
Salary: DOQ
City of Highland Village-Senior Accountant
Job Posted on: 8/27/2010
Closing Date: 9/26/2010
Salary: $25.06/hr
More Jobs |
Post a Job
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GFOAT
Professional Development - CGFO:
Contact
suzette@gfoat.org Next testing date: November
17 Galveston
Regional 8 & 13 News (DFW):
Contact Alan at
adickerson@littleelm.org.
Welcome Linda Bantz and Monika Arris!
Next date:
September 17. Renewal
forms coming out for next year. Tentative dates are:
Regional 14 News (Gulf Coast):
Generally
the Gulf Coast chapter meets the third Thursday of each month.
Contact Rhonda
Daugherty, West University Place
rdaugherty@westu.org
Regional 9 News (Heartland):
Welcomes Martie Gillespie as new
regional co-chair.
Regional 11 News (Coastal Bend):
Welcomes Anna Marquez and Darla Honea and as new
regional co-chairs.
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GFOAT
GFOAT CURRENT NEWS TO
USE......
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FALL CONFERENCE November
17-19 (pre-conference workshops on Tuesday & Wednesday) Moody
Gardens Galveston.
Download
brochure now!
2010-2011 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS are Ready!!!!!
Renew
online now!!
Hard copies will be
mailed in a couple of weeks if you do not renew online. Please
note that TML can no longer take faxed credit card information.
GFOA news from national ...
-
Upcoming
training in Richardson, TX - October 4-7.
See more here...
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Macklem releases Generational Change Task Force Report.
Read more here...
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SAVE THE DATE
for
GFOA
National Conference in SAN ANTONIO May 22-25,
2011
- For budgeting
purposes early bird registration is expected to be
$370.
-
GASB
news ...
FAF, FASB, and GASB Join TwitterŽ to Enhance
Communication with Constituents
The Institute of Government Finance
at Texas Tech offers training for the non-finance
professions. Contact hours: 36; certificate provided!
Fall
Session/Dallas-Ft. Worth - October 4 - 9, 2010;
Spring Session/Austin - February 7 - 12, 2011; Summer
Session/Houston-San Antonio - June 6 - 11, 2011
Get this info out to your
operational department colleagues!! Download brochure
here or go-online
to Texas Tech...
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For your tool box
... |
Need justification and explanation for why those
financial reports need to be completed in a timely manner??? Check out GASB's
Chairman Attmore and AICPA's Melancon in "Trust
in Timing" in Governing Magazine, July 15, 2010
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GFOAT
Single Audit: ARRA You Ready for This Year’s Audit?
Todd Pruitt, Partner, Patillo, Brown & Hill, LLP
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which was enacted in February 2009, provides almost $800 billion in stimulus funds intended to create and save jobs and stimulate long-term economic growth. ARRA mandates an unprecedented amount of oversight and transparency over the spending of all funds associated with it. With audit season right around the corner, it is important for recipients to consider the additional compliance requirements that accompany these funds including the impact they will have on your annual independent audit.
MORE
OPEB: Is There A Cost To Doing Nothing?
Bob Scott, Chair, GFOAT FRRR Committee
As required by GASB 45, most Texas agencies have now obtained actuarial valuations quantifying their long term retiree health care liability. The actuarial shows the yearly cost or Annual Required Contribution, known as “ARC”, to fully fund the benefit typically over 30 years. But what has your agency done with this document? Many have no plan of action to respond, citing the recession and current budgetary demands. But is there a cost of doing nothing about your actuarial valuation? Yes, there is an actual cost.
MORE
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GFOAT
VIEW THE PDF

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