Municipal Finance Institute
December 14-15, 2023
San Diego Mission Bay Hotel
1775 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA
Thank you for joining the League of California Cities for the 2022 Municipal Finance Institute in Monterey!
Designed for city officials and staff involved in fiscal planning for municipalities, the Municipal Finance Institute connects finance directors and other municipal finance professionals with the essential information they need for their job.
The institute took place Wednesday, Dec. 7 - Thursday, Dec. 8 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, where 100 attendees from across the state explored current topics of importance and engaged in networking opportunities.
Save the date for the next seminar on Dec. 14-15, 2023 at the San Diego Mission Bay Hotel.
For questions, please contact event program manager, Katie Pebler.
Institute Information
2022 Institute Session Descriptions
View the 2022 Municipal Finance Institute Program.
Breakfast On Your Own
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Premium Sponsor Tables Open
8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Registration Open
8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Fiscal Officers President's Welcome
8:30-9:00 a.m.
2023 Playbook for Developments in Municipal Finance Law and Policy
9:00-10:15 a.m.
Leading experts will review the latest major developments for California city revenues. Learn about new laws, legal developments, risks, and opportunities that will affect your agency’s finances.
Moderator:
Tarik Rahmani, President, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department and Deputy City Manager, Carson
Speakers:
Michael Colantuono, Managing Shareholder, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC
Nick Romo, Legislative Representative, League of California Cities
Jessica Sankus, Legislative Representative, League of
California Cities
Visit with Sponsors
10:15-10:45 a.m.
Visit with several vendors offering products and services to benefit you and your city. Coffee, tea, and water will be available.
Creative Budget Management Tips
10:45 a.m.-noon
For finance directors, having a smooth budget management strategy not only saves time and resources for your city, it saves you from the stress that can come with it. Hear from city finance directors and their creative strategies in managing a complex, multi-faceted city budget.
Moderator:
Roberta Raper, Department Director, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department, Finance Director, West Sacramento
Speakers:
Lauren Lai, Finance Director, Milpitas
Mike McCann, Principal, McCann Consulting
Networking Lunch
noon-1:15 p.m.
CalPERS Pension Update
1:15-2:30 p.m.
Hear from a panel of experts on the latest developments, decisions, and outlook regarding the state’s developments and the current pension climate.
Moderator:
Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director and CEO, League of California Cities
Speakers:
Marcie Frost, CEO, CalPERS
Lisa Middleton, Mayor, Palm Springs
Visit with Sponsors
2:30-2:45 p.m.
Visit with several vendors offering products and services to benefit you and your city. Coffee, tea, and water will be available.
Addressing Pension Liability Without POBs: City of Upland's BLAST Strategy
2:45-4:00 p.m.
Learn about the city of Upland and its innovative approach to addressing pension liability. First, receive an overview and background on pension liabilities, CalPERS policies, and Pension Obligation Bonds (POBs). Panelists will review why POBs were so compelling, what has changed, and what other options may be available now. Then, hear about a recent case in the city of Upland, where potential litigation derailed its plans to issue POBs. The team was required to pivot and determine new creative ways to address their Unfunded Accrued Liability (UAL). It’s a story of persistence, heartbreak, innovation, and success, culminating in Upland 'BLASTing' away their UAL.
Moderator:
Ward Komers, Assistant Director of Finance, Temecula
Speakers:
Kim Byrens, Partner, Best Best & Krieger LLP
Julio Morales, Senior Managing Director, Kosmont Financial Services
Stephen Parker, Assistant City Manager, Upland
Visit with Sponsors
4:00-4:15 p.m.
Visit with several vendors offering products and services to benefit you and your city. Coffee, tea, and water will be available.
Vital Information When Considering a Transaction and Use Tax (TUT)
4:15-5:30 p.m.
Agencies wrestling with balancing annual budgets may find a reduction in expenditures to be temporary and one-sided, especially post-pandemic. There are now more than 400 TUT's in place statewide, some designated for specific purposes, while others are available for general use. This session will provide examples of the timelines, workflow, and approaches taken by successful agencies to pass and implement a TUT.
Moderator:
Karin Schnaider, Past President, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department and Assistant City Manager, Tracy
Speakers:
Susie Woodstock, Principal, HdL Companies
Bobby Young, Director of Client Services, HdL Companies
Cal Cities Sales Tax Working Group Update
5:15-5:30 p.m.
Receive an overview and update on the Cal Cities Sales Tax Working Group.
Speakers:
Roberta Raper, Department Director, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department, Finance Director, West Sacramento
Karin Schnaider, Past President, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department and Assistant City Manager,
Tracy
Joint Networking Reception
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Make new friends and catch up with old ones while enjoying delicious appetizers and tasty beverages during the evening networking reception. This joint reception is open to attendees from all three Cal Cities conferences: the Fire Chiefs Leadership
Seminar, Municipal Finance Institute, and City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar. It's the perfect opportunity to form support networks inside and outside your profession.
Registration Open
8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Networking Breakfast
8:00-9:00 a.m.
California State and Local Economic Update
9:00-10:15 a.m.
The forces affecting our economy and finances are many: interest rates, inflation, home prices, war in Europe, state tax refunds, the American Recovery Plan Act, Inflation Reduction Act, remote work, climate change, and a travel industry in recovery. This panel of leading experts will analyze economic and financial trends as they discuss the year ahead for California cities. The group will identify important emerging trends in the economy and the linkages with municipal revenues, services, and costs.
Moderator:
Michael Coleman, CaliforniaCityFinance.com
Speakers:
Ted Egan, Chief Economist, City and County of San Francisco
Somjita Mitra, Chief Economist, California Department of Finance
Tracy Vesely, Principal, HdL Companies
Break
10:15-10:45 a.m.
Use this time to grab luggage and take a break before information packed sessions and closing lunch.
Case Study: Public-Private Cybersecurity Partnerships are the New Normal
10:45 a.m.-noon
The public sector is one of the top targets for cybercriminals. They know that encrypting one small system can easily disable an entire community. We have all heard tragic stories of confidential information being stolen and made public, money seized, and data compromised. Learn the steps from two cities who have taken action against cyberattacks, and how doing so made their communities safer, more secure, and stable. Finally, understand how you can overcome common roadblocks that can complicate the path to success with cybersecurity and technology, including funding and partnerships.
Moderator:
Scott Pettingell, Second Vice President, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department and Assistant Finance Director, Roseville
Speakers:
Marc Coopwood, Assistant Chief of Police (ret.), Vice President, Public Sector, Apex Technology Management
Manuel Orozco, Finance Director, Willits
Jay Varney, County Administrative Officer, County
of Madera
Closing Luncheon and Peer Advice Panel: How to Thrive as a City Finance Director
noon-1:30 p.m.
A panel of California finance directors will share their thoughts, strategies, and recent experiences, the widespread challenges that surfaced, and what they learned. Find opportunities for collective learning during the session.
Moderator:
Dennis Kauffman, Past President, Cal Cities Fiscal Officers Department and ACM/CFO, Roseville
Speakers:
Julia Cooper, Director of Finance, San José
Brigitte Elke, Finance Director, San Luis Obispo
George Harris, Director of Finance/IT, Lancaster
Adjourn
1:30 p.m.
2022 Institute Session Materials
- 2023 Playbook for Developments in Municipal Finance Law and Policy
- Addressing Pension Liability Without POBs City of Upland's BLAST Strategy - Morales
- California State and Local Economic Update - Egan
- California State and Local Economic Update - Mitra
- California State and Local Economic Update - Vesley
- Case Study - Public-Private Cybersecurity Partnerships are the New Normal - Coopwood
- Creative Budget Management Tips - Lai
- Creative Budget Management Tips - McMann
- Peer Advice Panel
- Vital Information When Considering a Transaction and Use Tax (TUT) - Young
Previous Institute Session Materials
- Being an Ally to Create an Inclusive Workplace in Finance
- Can Finance and Economic Development Work Together After COVID-19
- FLSA Hot Topics & Legal Updates
- Law and Elections Update
- Legislative & State Budget Update
- Negotiating Retirement and Health Benefits in Tough Economic Times
- Observations from Economists - Coleman
- Observations from Local State and National Economists - Chu
- Pensions, the Coronavirus, and The CA Supreme Court
- Sales Tax Update for Cities
- 2019 Municipal Finance Institute Program
- 2020 Playbook for Developments in Law and Elections - Colantuono
- 2020 Playbook for Developments in Law and Elections - Coleman
- Bolstering the Finance Team - Fu
- Bolstering the Finance Team - Pressey
- Bolstering the Finance Team- Rydstrom
- LCC Municipal Finance 2019
- Local Revenues: 2020 Legislative Watch
- Making the FLSA Work For You – Tips and Tricks to Ensure Compliance - Yee
- Observations from Local, State and National Economists
- Protecting Your Entity From Fraud
- Straight from the Source: California’s Pension System Today - Frost
- Straight from the Source: California’s Pension System Today - Mehryar
- Straight from the Source: California’s Pension System Today - Middleton
- The 20 Most Important Numbers to Generate for Labor Negotiations
- Thinking Like a Bear How to Prepare for a Recession
- We've Always Done It That Way Is Over: What's Next? - Ibarra
Call for Proposals
Who Can Submit
How It Works
Target Audience
- Is the topic new and/or critical for city government?
- Will it draw a wide audience?
- Does the panel reflect the diversity of California cities (north/south, large/small, urban/rural)?
- Is the panel gender balanced and demographically diverse?
- Will the session appeal to an audience with various political affiliations?
- Will this issue stimulate action and further important discussion?
- How does the proposed session impact education and/or advocacy for city leaders?
- Is the topic geared towards the average finance director?
- Do you have at least 5 important takeaways?
Tips for Successful Proposals
- Think big
- Vary the viewpoint
- Pare down the panel
- Speaker skills matter
- Plan for a crowd
- Try something new
- Interact with the audience
- Fill in the blanks
- Quality counts
Types of Proposals
- Keynote Speaker
Keynote speakers are high-profile and designed to bring everyone together for a general session / and may set the tone of the event. This format permits approximately 45-60 minutes of an engaging presentation by a single speaker. Depending on time restrictions, the presentation may be followed by approximately 15 minutes of questions and answers with the audience or a moderator. - Panel Discussion
Panels consist of a moderator and a maximum of three speakers who participate in a 60 minute engaging presentation and discussion followed by approximately 15 minutes of questions and answers. - Speed Sessions
Fifteen minute bursts of information on one topic by one speaker followed by five minutes of questions & answers. Typically, these engaging presentations are based on focused projects or personal experience. - Facilitated Group Discussion
A 75 minute interactive conversation on a topic led by a single facilitator. You may include a maximum 15 minute presentation on which the issue/concern is framed and, then, guide a discussion among the attendees with prepared questions. At the conclusion of the discussion, the facilitator must spend time summarizing key findings, suggestions, and points. - Alternative Format
Be creative! If your session does not fit one of the above formats, this is your opportunity to propose something different. Please be sure to provide the time, room setup, and other important details. Alternative formats will be accommodated based on interest level, space, and set-up availability.
Submission Requirements and Review
Successful Proposal Considerations
- Relevance - What are the practical applications of your ideas? Have you included reasoning and documentation to support your conclusions, recommendations and outcomes? Conference attendees prefer presentations focused on outcomes or results. Make the definition and background portions of your presentation brief. Highlight problems encountered, options available, choices made, documented pre- and post-change effects and lessons learned.
- Content expands attendees' knowledge - Will your presentation expand knowledge beyond entry-level basics? Most conference participants are elected officials, appointed officials, and seasoned professionals. In general, direct your presentation to an intermediate or advanced audience.
- Originality - Does your presentation advance existing ideas or present new ideas? Has this material been presented elsewhere? You might apply proven techniques to new problems or identify and apply new approaches, techniques or philosophies. Assess the degree to which an application is a new tool. Avoid highlighting a named product or service…focus instead on the general attributes, benefits and drawbacks of a given application, process or tool.
- Examples - Do you have an appropriate number of examples? Documenting comparative results convinces participants that your ideas have been tested in the real world.
- Timeliness - Will your presentation still be up-to-date and cutting-edge in six to nine months when the conference occurs? Will your topic have implications in the future? How relevant is your topic in the context of pending legislation, regulations and technology?
- Inclusion of good, solid insights - What attendees want to learn is the reality versus the hype, the positive and negative attributes, problems encountered but not often discussed, realistic expectations for the operational use and adaptability to a changing environment. They are searching for guidelines and models to simplify or manage their own application or installation.
- Logical conclusions - Are your conclusions supported by data? Attendees place a high value on supporting data in assessing the value and applicability of presentations. Include adequate and convincing details.
- Identification of outside resources - Have you included sources of information, benchmark data or other examples?
- Avoidance of product/vendor commercial - No commercials and/or proprietary information for particular products, services or vendors are permitted.
- Completeness of proposal - The quality, completeness and accuracy of the proposal will be considered during the session selection process.
- Preferred Speaker Qualifications - Panelists should reflect the diversity of California with a north/south, large/small, urban/rural representation when possible.
- Five or more (5+) years of public presentation experience.
- Two or more (2+) years of experience related to working in or presenting on the topic or idea.
- More than two (2) successful speaking engagements to large audiences at a regional or state level in the past two years.
- Must not pose a conflict of interest with subject/business area or must disclose such information in each speaker bio submitted.
- No commercialism.
To ensure a variety of perspectives, Cal Cities policy limits the number of times an individual, group, business or organization can speak at a single conference. In addition, each panel should have no more than one panelist per city/county, firm, company or organization (exceptions may apply).
- Overall - In the end, you must make your case for the importance of this topic and its relevance to participants.
Registration and Speaker Policy
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