NCLM Launches Full Year of Financial Management Education

Behind every project, every initiative, every delivered service and every thriving municipality in North Carolina is a well-managed financial situation.  

Municipal finance is, by nearly any estimation, the most important obligation of a local leader. Not only does it provide the necessary foundation to run your local government, but it also resides at the center of public service. By understanding the best practices of municipal finance, you are serving as a good steward of your community’s public funds.

To support North Carolina’s local leaders in this critical duty, the NC League of Municipalities has developed a year-long educational program for elected officials, appointed officials and city staff.

“All across our state, our cities create a better quality of life for their citizens, and most of the work that goes into that endeavor is behind the scenes,” said Rose Vaughn Williams, League Executive Director. “Proper financial management is not flashy—but it is fundamental to these successes. We’re so proud to support our leaders, both new and experienced, in providing them practical education on this topic.”

The flagship course of this training track is “Municipal Finance: Comprehensive Fiscal Training for Local Governments,” which takes place each spring. Through two cycles of in-person offerings now, more than 600 local leaders have participated in this training to date.

The course provides a broad overview of the subject, from accounting to auditing to oversight to ethics. It has been offered in 10 locations across the state and was taught online in May.

“We are bringing it all together for our cities and towns,” said League President and Albemarle Mayor Pro Tem Martha Sue Hall. “This is an opportunity to learn the basics, in one day and in one place, close to your own hometown.”

Following the spring training block, the next section of the training track is the League’s Municipal Finance Webinar Series an offering of six online trainings, each of which digs into a specific topic associated with local government fiscal management. These webinars are available for free with support from the Local Leadership Foundation and its sponsor, the North Carolina Capital Management Trust.

Finally, the track turns to fall where the League will offer two hands-on workshops on two critical topics: strategic planning and budgeting.

The League’s strategic planning offerings were first launched in 2024 to great success, as six town councils took advantage of the training to immediately implement a strategic plan in their organization.

Take advantage of these educational offerings! Events, webinars and workshops are available for registration on the League’s event calendar, nclm.org/events-training.

Please reach out to learning@nclm.org to get more information or to request that the League’s educational courses come to your hometown.