Municipal Finance Best Practices Training and Resources

Recommended practices and guidance for municipal finance officials.

Municipal Finance Best Practices

• City, Town and District Reserve Funds (PDF) 
• Enterprise Funds: Overview and Best Practices (Video) 
• Preparing the Budget Document (Video) This video describes the process for creating a municipal budget document, including the key components and suggested format.
• Reconciling Cash and Receivables (PDF) 
• Revenue and Appropriation Deficits (PDF) 
• Stabilization Funds: Overview and Best Practices (Video)
• The Importance of Annual Municipal Audits (PDF) 
• The Importance of the Treasurer's Cash Book (PDF) 
• The Overlay Reserve Account: Allowances for Abatements and Exemptions (Video)
• Understanding Municipal Debt (PDF) 
• Webinar: Yarmouth Tax Rate Recap Process Webinar (Video) 
  In this webinar, the town of Yarmouth’s financial management team highlights how collaboration amongst staff has resulted in a streamlines tax rate recap process. The slides presented can be viewed here (PDF). In addition, you can reference DLS’ Budget and Tax Rate Planning Tool, which the team Yarmouth uses as part of their automated process.

Using Financial Indicators to Analyze Fiscal Health

View the videos below to learn how local financial and demographic data can be used to indicate the status of a municipality’s fiscal health. This analysis can be helpful during the budget preparation process to build a clearer picture of financial trends and how your community arrived at its present financial condition.

• Debt Service
• Introduction: Financial Indicators
• Long-Term Debt
• Net Operating Revenue
• Operating Expenditures
• Pension Liability
• Personnel Costs
• Population & Enrollment
• Property Tax Revenue
• Reserves
• Revenues Related to Economic Growth
• State Aid as a Percentage of Operating Revenue
• Uncollected Property Taxes as a Percentage of Tax Levy

Download the companion workbook, Financial Indicators Template (Excel), to analyze your own community's data.

General Governance Best Practices

• Preparing for Employee Turnover (PDF)
• Transitioning Government Positions From Elected to Appointed (Video) 
  This video describes the transition process, and the benefits that can be gained, when changing a municipal office from elected to appointed.
• What is "Home Rule?" (PDF) 

Date published:	July 30, 2020
Last updated:	March 18, 2021