Local authority finance needs system-wide reform, say experts

In Public Finance, Rachael Sanders, Director of Finance at Herefordshire Council and Chair of CIPFA’s Better Reporting Group, and Mark Green Group Vice Chair and Director of Finance & Resources at Maidstone Borough Council, stress that reforming local audit and financial reporting can’t happen in isolation. They call for a system-wide rethink - making local authority accounts clearer, more accessible and genuinely useful for councillors, officers and residents. 💬 Find out what needs to change and have your say on shaping the future of reporting: https://lnkd.in/ewXgTzUf #PublicFinance #LocalAudit #FinancialReporting

Understanding Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), CAP 412A is important! It is key to how Counties plan, budget, spend, and account for public resources, and ultimately, how devolution delivers real impact to citizens. Great initiative by the Council of Governors – Maarifa Centre to make this knowledge accessible! Learn more: https://maarifa.cog.go.ke/ #Governance #PFMA #Devolution #KnowledgeSharing #MaarifaCentre #CouncilofGovernors

Finance Secretary Shona Robison says a 20% reduction in Scottish Government civil service numbers is “significant” but “more than achievable”. Speaking at Holyrood’s Finance Committee this week, she said the government will not however be “randomly taking an axe to services” in Scotland, as Ministers seek to reduce the overall size of the public sector workforce. Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said, in management terms, “the civil service does seem relatively top heavy compared to other organisations”. Adding that it “looks like it is all chiefs and no braves, if you know what I mean?” The Finance Committee will publish its report on responding to long-term fiscal pressures in the coming weeks.

Finance Minister John O'Dowd has confirmed his intention to drive forward reform in the management of shared property following the completion of a departmental scoping study. Read more➡️ https://lnkd.in/eu8yyh8T

𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗶 𝗙𝘂𝗷𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 The Judicial #Vetting Commission has finalized the integrity evaluation of judge Dmitrii Fujenco from the Southern Court of Appeal. The Commission recommended that he fail the external integrity #evaluation, citing concerns regarding his financial and ethical #integrity. 📑 The report has been submitted to the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), which will decide whether to accept or reject the recommendation. Until the SCM issues its decision, the evaluation result is available on the Commission’s website in the “Subjects” section. 🔎 Evaluation context The case was examined by Panel A and later by the full Commission, with hearings focusing on financial discrepancies from 2012–2017, including donations, car use, home renovation expenses, and the use of an apartment. 📊 General statistics So far, the Commission has received 181 cases for evaluation. ▪️ 64 individuals resigned or withdrew, ▪️4 had previously passed pre-vetting, ▪️93 evaluations were finalized, ▪️25 evaluations and 7 re-evaluations are ongoing. 👉 Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/d3WD-ZeQ

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has identified over $112 million in excessive and wasteful spending in Manatee County’s budget, urging the county to reduce property taxes and improve fiscal responsibility. The county’s General Fund Budget has grown 69% since FY 2019-2020, outpacing population growth and increasing the tax burden on residents. CFO Ingoglia emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability to provide meaningful property tax relief. - Manatee County’s budget increased by $268 million since FY 2019-2020, with a 61,545 population increase. - The county could reduce its millage rate by 1.09 mills without cutting services, saving homeowners hundreds annually. - CFO Ingoglia has found over $1.1 billion in wasteful spending across seven local governments in FY 24-25. The key takeaway is that Manatee County can offer significant property tax relief by curbing excessive spending without impacting public services.

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia revealed that Seminole County is overspending by over $48 million beyond what population growth and inflation justify, urging the county to cut wasteful spending and lower rising property taxes. Since FY 2019-2020, the county’s General Fund Budget increased by 46.7%, while the population grew modestly, leading to excessive per capita spending. Despite this, the county raised the millage rate, adding $27 million more in property taxes. - Seminole County’s budget grew $136 million since FY 2019-2020, with $5,402 spent per new resident. - Homeowners could save hundreds annually if the millage rate was reduced instead of increased. - CFO Ingoglia has identified over $1 billion in wasteful spending across six local governments in Florida. The CFO is committed to exposing local government waste and protecting taxpayers from unnecessary tax hikes. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dKPN7Epz

Local councils in Scotland and England are not in a strong financial position right now. Scottish councils hold £20 billion in debt, up 11 percent from last year, and in England, many are already bankrupt or on the brink. While Scottish councils seem to be managing to an extent, with no major warnings from auditors, the situation in England is far worse. A lack of proper auditing is being blamed. If weak audits can cause this in local government, what could they mean for your business? Learn more in Ivan Houston’s latest article: https://bit.ly/4mV8K7W #Audit #BusinessOwner #EdinburghBusiness #AberdeenBusiness

Poor governance or "lack of funding" In an interview, Lord Morse (Chairman of the Office for Local Government) told The Times that: "All of the failures that we've seen so far; all of the authorities that are in special measures are not primarily attributable to a shortage of money — they're to do with failures in management or failures in governance. "I really can say that quite definitely," he added. Morse said he is listening "respectfully" to councils' concerns about money but said: "Our actual experience is there's a lot to be done in improving the quality of management and oversight." https://lnkd.in/epJVjidr

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