GFOA has awarded Downers Grove, IL, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is full of holiday cheer, and often that cheer involves gift giving! Gifts are great, but they can be a complicated issue for local government officials. Now is the perfect time to review your local government’s specific policies regarding gifts and gift giving so that when you start receiving presents as thank-yous for everything your city has accomplished over the past year, you will know exactly what to do. You can remind all staff about the gifts policy by posting your local government’s guidelines in a place where everyone will see them.

This is a sample performance evaluation form for a county administrator.

This is a sample performance evaluation form for a local government CAO.

Have you thought about military veterans lately? While Veteran’s Day happens only once a year, communities should be committed tohelping veterans 365 days a year. However, it isn’t always easy with local governments planning reductions in services and staff at the same time that many veterans are returning home to their communities. What can your local government do to help veterans throughout the year?