Yearly Archives: 2022

5 Reasons to Switch to ClearGov Digital Budget Book (And Make Earning the GFOA Distinguished Budget Award Easier)

By Matt Benati, VP Marketing at ClearGov

The GFOA Distinguished Budget Award is one of the most coveted accolades in local government – and for good reason.

The award can mean a number of things to a local government, but for many, it is twofold. First, having a transparent budget for residents is ethical, strengthens community relationships, and makes responding to inquiries simpler and faster. Second, local government employees take a great deal of pride in their work. Providing the community you love with excellence in budgeting is rewarding on its own, but the acknowledgment that you’re an asset to your community, is a fulfilling and well-deserved badge of honor. Read more >

Posted in BMS Partners, City Clerk Cafe, Office Efficiency, Small Cities, Technology | Comments Off on 5 Reasons to Switch to ClearGov Digital Budget Book (And Make Earning the GFOA Distinguished Budget Award Easier)

How to Adapt to New Technology: A Guide for the Technically Challenged

You’re never old enough to know everything you should. But you’re never old enough to learn through osmosis either, which is why admitting you don’t know how can be just as difficult as taking the steps to learn. For many, this applies especially to new technology, where it’s easy to feel intimidated and stick to old ways of doing things, even when there’s a better solution available. But if you’ve been putting off learning that new system at work, or struggling to keep up with evolving technologies at home, what better time to learn than now?

Despite how overwhelming getting started can feel, learning something new doesn’t have to be a chore. Read more >

Posted in Best Practices, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe | Comments Off on How to Adapt to New Technology: A Guide for the Technically Challenged

Privacy Risks and Your In-Home Devices

Smart devices can send us reminders, check the weather, make a grocery list, regulate the heat in our house, and…make us prone to security breaches???

We are more connected to our devices than ever before. They do everything for us. But a new worry about these interactions has surfaced: do they protect our privacy and information enough?

When everyday devices connect to the Internet to send and receive information, this information is called the Internet of Things (ioT). It is predicted that by the end of 2022, the IoT will account for 13 billion connected devices, which means 13 billion chances for privacy to be breached or hacked over these devices’ lifetime. Read more >

Posted in Best Practices, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe, Office Efficiency, Technology | Comments Off on Privacy Risks and Your In-Home Devices

How to Make a Big Software Switch Less Intimidating

Oh no you’ve really done it this time!

You’ve met with the vendor. You’ve made the decision. You’ve cut the purchase order. And now? Now you have to go through with it!

A major software change is incredibly intimidating for many agencies seeking an update to their systems. It means dealing with a lot of information, learning new processes, integrating the system, taking the network off-line, and training employees. As a software provider for local governments, schools and utilities, we are no strangers to the intimidation factor. That’s why we’ve pledged a great deal of our efforts towards making the process as pain-free as possible. Read more >

Posted in Best Practices, BMS Products, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe, Office Efficiency | Comments Off on How to Make a Big Software Switch Less Intimidating

New Web Portal Aims to Help Small Communities Apply for Federal Funding

Since the passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act earlier this year, there are billions of dollars available for local governments to update crumbling infrastructure. However, accessing those funds is not always as easy as it sounds when navigating the grant application process and accompanying bureaucracy feels more like a funhouse Odyssey than a walk in the park. Luckily, a new joint venture will launch this summer designed to help small and mid-sized cities secure the federal bag.

Local Infrastructure Hub, a collaboration between the US Conference of Mayors (USCM), the National League of Cities (NLC), and Results for America will go live July 1st as reported by American City & County. Read more >

Posted in City Clerk Cafe, Latest News, Small Cities | Comments Off on New Web Portal Aims to Help Small Communities Apply for Federal Funding

Covid Recovery Funds Offer Plenty of Options for American Counties

As reported by American City & County, the US Treasury announced its final rule for the State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) under ARPA. SLFRF totals $65.1 billion to be allotted on a per county basis with plenty of provisions that allow counties to distribute these funds as they see fit.

One of the key provisions will allow approximately 70% of counties to declare $10 million as lost revenue, which enables them to allocate that money for the following general government services:

  • Constructing schools and hospitals
  • Road maintenance and other infrastructure
  • Health services
  • Government administration and staff
  • Environmental remediation
  • Police, first responders, and public safety

The Treasury’s ruling also improves revenue loss calculations to include utility revenue and liquor store sale options for counties, clarifies eligible uses of distributed funds for capital expenditures, streamlines options for providing premium pay by broadening the pool of eligible employees, authorizes re-hiring local government staff, and most importantly given ever increasing cyber threats, allows recovery funds to be used for improved cybersecurity. Read more >

Posted in Latest News, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Covid Recovery Funds Offer Plenty of Options for American Counties

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