About the Financial Management Resource Bureau

FMRB has been working closely with municipalities across the Commonwealth for more than 30 years to enhance financial management practices. In every engagement, our team assesses the community’s goals, challenges, and constraints to deliver practical advice to improve operations.

Among the services we provide are:

Financial Management Reviews – Our comprehensive operational review of local accounting, treasury, collection, assessing, and overall administrative functions is designed to improve day-to-day management practices and procedures through specific, hands-on tools, guidance, and strategies for improving local government.

Strategic Planning, Analysis, and Benchmarking Studies – Our assistance focuses on strategies and opportunities to strengthen municipal financial operations by analyzing data, policies, procedures, workflows, staffing levels, job descriptions, and shared-service opportunities. Examples include capital planning studies, financial policy manuals, financial forecasts, budget documents, and financial indicator analyses. 

Training and Presentations – Our local, individualized trainings and professional group presentations on financial management best practices are built on national standards of excellence, extensive local government knowledge, and the collective wisdom gained from visiting nearly every community across the Commonwealth. For new municipal finance professionals, our team provides an introduction to local government finance and the specific roles and responsibilities involving the accounting, treasury, collection, and assessing operations.

To learn more or to request our services, please contact Zack Blake, Chief, Financial Management Resource Bureau.

Table of Contents

Financial Management Reviews

Our comprehensive operational review of local accounting, treasury, collection, assessing, and overall administrative functions is designed to improve day-to-day management practices and procedures through specific, hands-on tools, guidance, and strategies for improving local government.

Strategic Planning, Analysis, and Benchmarking

Our assistance highlights strategies and opportunities to strengthen municipal financial operations by analyzing data, policies, procedures, workflows, staffing levels, job descriptions, and shared-service opportunities.

Best Practices

Our financial management resources are built on national standards of excellence, extensive local government knowledge, and the collective wisdom gained from visiting over three-quarters of communities across the state.

Governance

  • Legal Services
  • Financial Management Team
  • Home Rule

Financial Planning

  • Financial Policies
  • Annual Budget Process in Towns
  • Formal Budget and Municipal Calendar
  • Quarterly Budget Projections
  • Revenue and Expenditure Forecasting
  • Free Cash
  • Reserves
  • Retirement Costs
  • Special Purpose Stabilization Funds
  • User Fees
  • Financial Trend Monitoring

Departmental Procedures

  • Annual Audits
  • Revenue and Appropriation Deficits
  • Cash Flow Budgeting and Short-term Borrowing
  • Cash Book
  • On-line Bill Payments
  • Reconciling Cash and Accounts Receivable
  • Property Sales Inspections
  • Employee Performance Evaluations
  • Enforcing Collections

Other

  • Statutory Treatment of Municipal Revenues
  • Understanding Municipal Debt
  • Presenting and Funding Major Capital Projects
  • Enterprise Funds
  • Costing Municipal Services
  • Intermunicipal Agreements
  • Overrides and Exclusions

Tools, Templates and Calculators

  • Debt Service Estimator
  • Tax Impact
  • Residential Exemption
  • Tax Levy Shift
  • Collector Receivable Control
  • Employee Time Sheet
  • Department Payroll Summary Voucher
  • Debt Service Schedule
  • Treasurer Cash Book
  • Cash Flow Budget
  • Indirect Cost Template

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