DLS offers six interactive in-person workshops covering important municipal finance topics including budgeting, capital planning, financial policies, financial forecasting, tax rate recapitulation process, and reconciliation. These training opportunities will be offered regionally throughout the year. Space is limited and the workshops are intended for local officials.
In general, we recommend the town administrator/manager and a financial official responsible for the workshop topic attend the training. After the workshop, DLS staff are available to participants to review draft policies or forecasts, answer questions and provide additional guidance as needed.
Interested in joining DLS for a future in-person workshop please complete this form to let us know which workshop(s) you would like to see offered in your region. Based on your feedback DLS will schedule workshops and follow-up with registration details.
Budgeting
Help your community create a budget that integrates both short- and long-term fiscal context to guide decision making. This interactive workshop will focus on developing an annual budget document that includes financial information, goals and objectives, lay out prospective revenues and expenditures and clear explanations of program changes.
Budgeting Infogram - A virtual file cabinet with budgeting related resources, templates and tools.
Capital Planning
Highlighting the essentials of capital planning and best practices for strong financial management. We will explore the policies and procedures that a municipality should have in place to ensure the success of a capital planning process. We will discuss the components that make up a municipality’s capital plan and capital budget process. We will also explore the different methods municipalities can use to fund their capital budgets and how cities and towns can monitor levels of capital spending.
Financial Forecasting
A hands-on training with the goal of producing a financial forecast for your community. A financial forecast is an essential planning and policymaking tool that projects revenues and expenditures over a multi-year period. A well-designed forecast allows a municipality to evaluate the impact of various decisions and policy choices, identify challenges, analyze different scenarios, and budget sustainably for the future.
Financial Forecasting Infogram – A virtual file cabinet with financial forecasting related resources, templates and tools.
Financial Policies
Covers core financial policies and how municipalities can develop, adopt and implement them in their community. DLS staff provides a policy template and guides a robust discussion of best practices, engaging key stakeholders, and questions to consider as communities are developing financial policies.
Financial Policies Infogram - A virtual file cabinet with financial policy related resources, templates and tools.
Reconciliation: Cash Management
Highlighting the importance of teamwork and communication when reconciling cash and receivables in your community. We will review best practices for maintaining a good general ledger and cash book, identify common issues impacting reconciliation and developing process workflows and internal controls.
Translating the Recapitulation Process
Covers how your municipal budget translates to the tax rate recapitulation process. We provide an overview of the division’s template for budgeting and recap preparation. We highlight best practices for using Gateway, building revenues, detailing expenditures, the importance of reconciliation and finalizing your community’s recap.
| Date published: | June 17, 2026 |
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