Author: Deb Wagner - Director of Accounts
The focus of this article will be on resources for new accountants and other municipal and finance officials. The Bureau of Accounts (BOA) oversees the financial management of municipalities within the Commonwealth. BOA field staff assist financial officers with state regulations and requirements, approve tax rates, certify compliance with Proposition 2 1/2 and offer instruction in sound municipal accounting practices. Debt for cities, towns, counties and districts may be issued through our “State House Notes Program” certified by the Director of Accounts. The Director also certifies free cash of cities and towns that is thereafter available for appropriation.
We review audit reports of various Massachusetts local governments submitted by independent CPA firms. As we serve in this role, BOA interacts with all areas of municipal government, from mayors and selectboards to finance committees, accountants/auditors, collectors, treasurers and assessors. One of our most important roles is providing guidance and training around a multitude of municipal finance issues. All BOA staff are assigned to municipalities, regional school districts and special purpose districts. To find out who your BOA field representative is, click here for districts and here for cities and towns. Contact information for BOA field representatives can be found on the DLS Staff Directory.
Training and Informational Resources – Subscribing to the DLS YouTube Channel will provide you with our latest training webinars and videos. Our Municipal Finance Training and Resource Center is organized by position to help municipal officials more easily find resources that will help in their specific roles. Our webinars are always full of important information and I suggest watching Free Cash Upload & Certification Process and Excess and Deficiency Upload Process.
Other valuable resources include a video on The Role of the Accountant, The Role of the Finance Committee and Completing the Tax Rate Recap Forms Webinar.
For anyone in a financial management role in their community, I recommend The Role and Responsibilities of the Collector, The Role and Responsibilities of the Treasurer and any of the resources located in these “Resources by Process” section of our training website including Analyzing the Fiscal Health of Your Community and Budgeting and Long-range Financial Planning. The latter has tools and templates that can assist you in planning for the long-term fiscal health of your community.
Timely Information and DLS Gateway – We always recommend subscribing to DLS Alerts. In addition, it’s important to note that if you’re one of our municipal partners who submits information to DLS, make sure you are signed-up for DLS Gateway by contacting your local Gateway administrator.
The Bureau of Accounts is ready to assist you in any way we can in your new role. Please reach out anytime to your BOA field representative and let us know how we can help. We’re here to help!
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City & Town is brought to you by:
Editor: Dan Bertrand
Editorial Board: Tracy Callahan, Sean Cronin, Janie Dretler, Jessica Ferry, Emily Izzo, Christopher Ketchen, Paula King, Jen McAllister and Tony Rassias
| Date published: | June 18, 2025 |
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