[programs & services] (local government assistance)

The management of public funds for the implementation of public policies is an important responsibility for city and county officials. Local governments face many challenges in managing public finances. Demand for services and the assumption of new mandates always seems to grow, while sources of revenue are stagnant or diminishing. To assist local government officials, the Office of Local Government provides a variety of educational and technical information resources. Many of the services identified are offered at no cost or only nominal cost. Depending on the level of demand or the extent of service required, however, program availability may be limited.

Kansas Fiscal Database
The OLG created a database of detailed county government revenue and expenditure information from budget documents submitted to the Kansas Department of Administration's Division of Accounts and Reports. The database contains information related to 34 categories of expenditures and 20 revenue categories for all Kansas counties between 1989 and 2004.   The availability of this information opens a new realm of service delivery opportunities for Kansas counties.

• Fiscal Conditions and Trends. The Kansas County Fiscal Conditions & Trends report is a custom report for each Kansas County that tracks the trends in county finances over time and presents a number of indicators that can help county commissioners evaluate how things are going in the county. It presents a longer-term view of what has happened with county revenues and expenditures that provides commissioners with a unique perspective as they establish budgeting priorities.
  
• Public Finance Comparison Studies. The Kansas Fiscal Database permits direct and equivalent comparisons across places for any category of revenue or expenditure. This also presents valuable information to assess how a county compares with other places that may have similar needs and concerns.
  
• City Database. The first version of a fiscal database for Kansas cities is projected to completed in 2007. The database will contain data for as many county seats for which available budget detail is suitably clear as to be comparable across cities given the structure of our accounting system. This represents the first phase of expanding financial analysis services to Kansas cities.
  
• Applied Research for Special Questions. Information in the Kansas Fiscal Database presents a unique opportunity to ask and answer questions about local public finance on a state-wide basis. The OLG welcomes questions from legislators, state agencies, university specialists and local government representatives that can provide greater insight into questions of importance to local governments in Kansas.

Fiscal Impact Analysis
Growth and development adds tax base and additional consumers for the local business community. It also brings new residents who require educational and public services. Whether an event or policy will be a net cost or benefit to a county is a question that can be answered using the Kansas Integrated Impact Model. The model projects a wide range of economic, demographic and public finance impacts associated with economic changes and policies.

Evaluating Fiscal Health
The fiscal health education program permits local officials to make a detailed analysis of city or county finances. It generates a series of business-type ratios and other trend information that can provide insight on areas of relative strength or weakness in municipal finances. This is a program where local officials actively participate in the data gathering and analysis and represents an educational partnership.

Public Policy and Community Conflict Management
Far too often, communities tend to get bogged down in debate and controversy across a host of issues, wasting valuable time and resources and not moving the community forward. Instruction is available to help communities understand the dynamics of public policy conflict management, including public communications, multi-party negotiation, and dispute resolution.

Public Service Organization and Finance
There is a great deal of interest in opportunities to offer high-quality public services at an affordable cost. The Community Service Budgets program is a process of estimating local need and usage, capital and operating budgets and revenue requirements in an accounting format. The process can help a community evaluate alternative organizational structures, including opportunities for multi-community collaboration.

Information and Referral Services
The Direct Resource Referral Service has long served as a source of high quality information and referrals for professionals and volunteers in local government, economic development, and county Extension in Kansas. The OLG emphasizes issues of broad community concern, such as finding community grants or organizing a community recycling program. While emphasizing high "value added" issues, there is also commitment to high quality service: we strive to respond to all Direct Resource Referral Service inquiries with solid information and referrals in 48 hours or less.

Development Impact Analysis
Development Impact Analysis provides a framework for identifying potential consequences of development and initiating actions that will avoid or mitigate negative impacts. Numerous planning techniques are available for fiscal, traffic, socioeconomic, and environmental impact analysis. The OLG provides guidance and assistance to local planners and community decision makers on the use and interpretation of these analysis techniques.

Capital Improvement Planning
Capital improvement plans help a community save money by figuring out the order, timing and financing of major community investments. The information in a capital improvement plan helps decision makers coordinate services for greater efficiency and assess the short-term financing requirements in the context of long-term fiscal needs and constraints.

Land Use Planning and Environmental Management
Orderly growth and development, efficient public service provision, and safe, dependable environmental services doesn't happen by accident. It requires thoughtful foresight and investments in the future. That is the function of land use planning and environmental management. The OLG works with communities to provide information, models and direct technical assistance to incorporate best management principles in growth management, drinking water quality protection, and comprehensive planning.