Set against the backdrop of the Financial State of the Cities report, this educational conversation aims to dive into the fiscal condition of the 75 largest cities nationwide.
Our distinguished guest, Mark Funkhouser, has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Urban Sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is an expert in performance auditing, municipal finance, process improvement, and analytical skills. He serves as President of Funkhouser & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in government operations and public finance. He has many years of experience helping public officials and their private sector partners create better, more fiscally sustainable communities. You can find his insights and opinions on effective governance through a regular column in Governing.com and Governing Magazine, and now through Forbes, Route Fifty, and his monthly newsletter. He is passionate about promoting honest, competent, and trustworthy government and has received multiple honors and awards for his contributions to the field. We are privileged to discuss with him the findings in our report, which center around the effect of COVID-19 relief money, the increase of tax revenue after the lockdown, and how stock market volatility impacts all of our cities.
We look forward to hearing his suggestions regarding the measures struggling cities can adopt to regain fiscal health. And how can already robust cities enhance their resilience further?
Date: Feb 15, 2024
Time: 1 PM EST/ Noon CT
Location: Webinar via Zoom
Panel
Sheila A. Weinberg, CPA, is the founder and CEO of Truth in Accounting, whose mission is to compel governments to produce financial reports that are understandable, reliable, transparent, and correct. Since 2002, Ms. Weinberg has led Truth in Accounting's research initiatives, which include "The Truth about Balanced Budgets: a Fifty State Study," the "Financial State of the States," and the "Financial State of the Union." Because of her expertise in governmental budgeting and accounting, Ms. Weinberg has testified before the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB), the Government Accounting Standards Board, and numerous state legislative hearings on proper government accounting.
Ms. Weinberg earned her Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Denver, which she attended on an academic scholarship. She received her certified public accountant (CPA) credential in 1981.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mark Funkhouser: As the President of Funkhouser & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in government operations and public finance, I have many years of experience in helping public officials and their private sector partners create better, more fiscally sustainable communities. I have a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Urban Sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and I am an expert in performance auditing, municipal finance, process improvement, and analytical skills.
My mission is to use my relationships and my expertise to connect local leaders to information, ideas, and allies they can use to better meet their challenges and achieve their priorities. As publisher of Governing Magazine, I shared my insights and opinions on effective governance through a regular column in Governing.com and Governing Magazine, and now through Forbes, Route Fifty and my monthly newsletter. I am passionate about promoting honest, competent, and trustworthy government, and I have received multiple honors and awards for my contributions to the field.
Quote: “You can’t help people if you can’t manage the money.” Mark Funkhouser