Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Association of Town Finance Committees will hold its Annual Meeting on November 3 at Devens Common Center. Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash is the opening speaker. He’ll be followed by two concurrent sessions of educational workshops focusing on a variety of topics including financial policies, citizen academies, budgeting 101 and social media. This all day meeting is designed for new and seasoned finance committee members and provides networking opportunities to learn from your colleagues around the state.
Agenda
8:15-9:30 a.m.
Registration, Breakfast, Networking
8:30-10 a.m.
Lisa Krzywicki, Director of the Municipal Databank/Local Aid Section at the Division of Local Services, will be available to offer assistance with the fairly new DOR/DLS website. The new site has a number of features municipalities can utilize as they develop budgets and craft capital plans.
9:30-9:40 a.m.
President’s Welcome & Business Meeting
Ira Miller, Sharon Finance Committee
9:40-10:30 a.m.
Opening Speaker
Jay Ash, Secretary, Executive Office of Economic Development and Housing
10:30-noon
Concurrent Workshops
1. Budgeting 101
This session will review national best practices in public budgeting as promoted by the Government Finance Officers Association through its Distinguished Budget Award program. Whether you are new to the Finance Committee or a veteran member, this session will provide you with a clear roadmap for building consensus by showing how best to organize and present your community’s financial information.
John Coderre, Town Administrator, Northborough
Moderator: Mary McBride, Billerica Finance Committee and ATFC First President
Town of Northborough Annual Budget FY19 (882K PDF)
Northborough – GFOA Detailed Criteria Location Guide – Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program (230K PDF)
Presentation: Budgeting 101: A Guide to Best Practices (4M PDF)
2. @FinCom: What You Should Know About #SocialMedia
For better or for worse, social media is here to stay. This workshop will address key question that every finance committee member should be able to answer: Does my town have a social media policy, and how does it apply to me? How can my town use social media to engage and educate the citizenry? What are some common social media pitfalls to avoid? Which social media platforms are useful for a finance committee? Our speakers will focus on how to leverage social media as a productive civic tool.
Jamie Hellen, Deputy Town Administrator, Franklin
Brian Falk, Of Counsel, Mirick O’Connell
Moderator: Brian Boyle, Bolton Finance Committee and ATFC Director
Presentation: Open Meeting Law and Public Records Law – Brian Falk (25M PDF)
Presentation: What You Should Know About Social Media – Jamie Hellen (34M PDF)
3. Citizens Academy
More and more communities are holding a Citizen Academy to give residents an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of how their government works. The presenters have had great success with their academies and will discuss the planning, execution and outcomes.
Julie Jacobson, Town Manager, Auburn
Charlotte Rodgers, Human Services Manager, Lexington
Rajon Hudson, Management Fellow, Lexington
Moderator: John Trickey, Pelham Finance Committee and ATFC Director
Presentation: Citizens Academy – Town of Auburn (49M PDF)
Presentation: Citizens Academy – Town of Lexington (5.6M PDF)
Noon
Luncheon
1-2:30 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
1. Increasing the Effectiveness of Your Finance Committee
Finance effectiveness depends on many factors including: unity of the committee, legal authority under bylaws, local political culture, reputation before town meeting and effectiveness of presenter representing the Finance Committee. Experienced chairs will discuss their experiences, what works and pitfalls to avoid. Please bring your own lessons to share.
Al Tosti, Arlington Finance Committee Chair and ATFC Treasurer
John Trickey, Pelham Finance Committee and ATFC Director
2. Behind the Scenes in Collective Bargaining
Hear about what goes on behind the scenes in collective bargaining from a Town Manager and an attorney that work together on negotiations. How do towns prepare? What is the process? What outcomes can be expected? What are the impacts on the budget? What is the role of the Finance Committee and what questions should members ask?
Andrew Flanagan, Town Manager, Andover
Liz Valerio, Attorney, Valerio, Dominello & Hillman
Moderator: Mary Jane Mastrengelo, Bourne Finance Committee
Presentation: Collective Bargaining Basics & The Role of the Finance Committee (1.4M PDF)
3. Drafting and Setting Strong Financial Policies
This session will provide finance committee members an overview of the value of developing and adhering to financial policies that suit the unique needs and constraints of your municipality. It will provide both a local perspective and the success achieved from establishing and following prudent financial policies, as well as a discussion with a rating analyst on how financial policies factor into the rating. How management practices are assessed and evaluated in determining creditworthiness and fiscal flexibility will also be addressed.
Kerry LaFleur, Finance Director, Concord
Victor Mederios, Director, Standard & Poors
Moderator: Cinder McNerney, Swampscott Finance Committee and ATFC Vice President
Presentation: S&P Global Ratings (3M PDF)
Cancellation Policy: If you register but are unable to attend, please notify us by Oct. 29. Otherwise, you will be billed for the meeting.
ATFC Policy: Payment must be made in advance or on the day of the meeting.
The cost for this meeting is $45 for first time and new (less than one year on the committee) attendees for all finance committee members of ATFC dues paying communities; $55 for all finance committee members of ATFC dues paying communities; $65 per attendee for all other local officials and finance committee members from non-dues paying communities.
If you are unsure of your membership status, please call MMA Senior Member Services Coordinator Denise Baker at 800-882-1498 ext.105.
Location
Devens Common Center, 31 Andrews Parkway, Devens
Contact
MMA Senior Member Services Coordinator Denise Baker
Association of Town Finance Committees