Public Finance Questionnaire

Results and insights

Overview
The eight question web-based survey was made available to 1,730 government public finance
employees solicited via direct email and the list-serves of the California Municipal Treasurers
Association (CMTA) and California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO).

254 responses were received between December 14 and December 31, 2012. 3 responses
received January 2, 2013 are also included.

The purpose of this survey was to gather data that will inform leaders of public finance trade
associations of what is relevant to members and to influence the content of future seminars
and conferences.

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Responses

Question 1 Question 2
My job is best categorized as... My current level of seniority is...

15%
239 44%

8%

18 33%

Appointed or Elected Official / C-level management

Director / Sr Manager
Finance / Treasury / Accounting Manager / Supervisor
General services / Administration / Other General staff

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Responses

Question 3
My agency's most recent fiscal year budget is between...

125
105

100

75 61
48

50

25 15
8 5 7 8

0
< 50 50 - 100 100 - 200 200 - 300 300 - 500 500 - 700 700 - 1,000 > 1,000
$ millions

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Responses

Question 4
On an average day, how much time do you spend on the following topics?
Almost none An hour or two A few hours Several hours Almost all

Accounting / Financial
15 68 61 79 34
Reporting
Budget Preparation and
43 94 64 47 9
Administration
Banking / Cash
107 118 19 11 2
Management
Debt Issuance and
152 84 17 2 2
Administration
Cashiering / Accounts
167 70 13 6 1
Receivables
Investing / Portfolio
176 64 12 4 1
Management

Tax Administration 185 57 7 7 1

Fees, Permits and

202 47 5 3 0
Licenses

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Responses

Question 5
Other key activities
Responses

General administration and management

Specific items included: policy monitoring, project management, report-writing, staying up to date 36
on current events, clerical work, working with the public
Human resources and personnel
23
References to training, supervision of staff, and conflict resolution, generalist HR duties

Accounts payable and payroll 7

Information Technology and IT-related activities 2

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Responses

Question 6 Question 7
In which organizations / trade What is most important to you
associations are you a member? in a public finance trade
association?
CSMFO 218
GFOA 188
Education 135
CMTA 120
11 Content 41
APT
CalCPA 6 38
Networking
AGA 5
Professional continuing 38
AICPA 4 education credits
ACFE 3 Escape from endless 2
meetings at work
ICMA 3
Other 3
Other 26

0 50 100 150 200 250 0 50 100 150

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Responses

Question 8
Do you have any other comments, concerns or advice related to public finance trade associations?
[There were 33 responses; representative comments are provided below.]

We need to share our knowledge and prepare the next generation.

Select categories of
Responses
responses Professional education credits are important and the associations would be more
Topics of meetings and valuable if their activities provided more opportunities for continuing education time.
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conferences (improve)
Professional education credits are important and the associations would be more
Networking (value of) 5 valuable if their activities provided more opportunities for continuing education time.

Collaboration Given the decreasing number of elected City Treasurers in California, I think that it
between public finance 3 is time to consider consolidating CMTA and CSMFO into one organization.
trade associations
Pleased with I would like to participate with other organizations if they benefit me and my
3 organization but I do not have a basis for making that decision. It would be nice to see
organization(s)
something that describes the different organizations and the benefits they bring to an
Youth / New Members individual or organization. This would allow for the best mix of knowledge and topics
3
(need to attract) as they relate to a person like myself in a public entity.

The associations help me keep current with the multiple changes going on!

The tool I use most is the list-serve.

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 Responses

Question 8 (continued)
Do you have any other comments, concerns or advice related to public finance trade associations?
[There were 33 responses; representative comments are provided below.]

I find that, in the later years of my career, the majority of the sessions are too basic and repetitive. I have high expectations, but I often
end up bored.
Public finance trade associations often rely heavily on volunteer work from their members. This can be good to some extent because it
allows for broad participation and fosters an inclusive and democratic leadership structure. However, I have observed over the years that
some organizations over-reach and rely too much on volunteers who already have full-time jobs and limited capacity to spend time on
volunteer work. I would recommend that (1) professional association management services be utilized, and (2) professional consultants
be hired to do the heavy lifting, which allows for volunteers to provide oversight of the association management and of consultants rather
than being required to actually perform most of the tasks that are needed in administering the association's day to day activities.
Enjoy the training seminars and conferences.
It's hard to predict the future of technology ... but let's try to cease doing old-school things like chapter lunches while at the same time
continuing the fundamental reason for our existence: connecting me with my neighbor [because] we know we're better when we're
helping one another. Conferences? Maybe same thing: time to rely less on one conference, maybe time to quit trying to do North-
South, maybe time to do more online but still connect me to my neighbor and new contacts.
I think the main benefits that these organizations provide are mechanisms for (a) educating finance managers as they move into areas
that they haven't been previously exposed to; and (b) creating a forum for finance managers to benchmark policies and procedures; and
(c) disseminating information about new requirements or emerging issues.
I am very satisfied with our association.

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 January 8, 2013

THANK YOU TO
ALL THOSE WHO
CONTRIBUTED TO
THIS SURVEY!
For more information on
this survey, including all
underlying data, please
contact Brian Starr at
brian.starr@sfgov.org or
415.554.4487.

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