Local Government Dollars & Sense: 225 Financial Tips for Guarding the Public Checkbook [Paperback]

Len Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998

City, county and school district elected officials annually deal with multi-million, sometime billion dollar budgets. But many have little, if any, knowledge about local government financial matters when first elected. Written in an easy to understand style, this book provides beginning and seasoned elected officials and public administrators with the fiscal awareness to confidently make good budget and financial decisions. Local government is more complex today and there are more opportunities for poor judgement, conflicts of interest, embezzlement and fraud. The best antidote is an informed constituency that insists on good government and accountability. Community members, homeowners groups, business people, unions, service organizations, public watchdogs and newspaper reporters who want to assess their local elected officials' performance will find this book invaluable. Each chapter begins with a real life story such as the city manager who used the city's credit card to go on an lavish shopping spree, the city that used debt to mask it's huge deficit or the school superintendent who sacrificed the district's solvency to create an award winning curriculum. Vignettes from over 77 different local governments across the country are used to buttress the suggested tips and techniques.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Every concerned taxpayer should read this insightful commentary on how to provide fiscal oversight and avoid a variety of pitfalls. -- Weyrich Reviews

This is a must read. It includes great case studies and easily understood explanations of sometimes complex financial information. -- Small Cities Publishing

About the Author

Len Wood is President of Len Wood & Associates, a leading training and consulting firm to local government specializing in public management, budgeting and financial issues. Len Wood spent over twenty-three years in local government, fourteen of which were as City Manager in the Cities of Rancho Palos Verdes and Claremont, California. Len has also served as a professor at the Graduate Center of Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Long Beach and Cal Poly Pomona. He has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from California State University at Long Beach. Len is the author of three other local government books, the Commissioner's Little Handbook, the Little Budget Book and the Elected Official's Little Handbook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Training Shoppe; 4 edition (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963437437
• ISBN-13: 978-0963437433
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #322,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent budget, financial and treasury primer., March 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Local Government Dollars & Sense: 225 Financial Tips for Guarding the Public Checkbook (Paperback)

As an elected Treasurer and local government finance director for the past several years, I found this book to be an excellent primer for all elected and appointed officials. The practical advice offered by Mr. Wood is based on his experience and input from his peers and is extremely valuable. The book is written in a very informal and concise way and should be required reading for all elected officials. In fact, I gave this book to each City Council member and they have all indicated that this book provided excellent financial advice.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for people interested in local government., June 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Local Government Dollars & Sense: 225 Financial Tips for Guarding the Public Checkbook (Paperback)

What a delightful book. The author has presented his subject in an understandable and capitivating manner. He does this by using lots of real life vignettes to make his points. People who want to know what their local officials should and should not be doing will want to read this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading for the Government Watchdog, September 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Local Government Dollars & Sense: 225 Financial Tips for Guarding the Public Checkbook (Paperback)

Len Wood presents Dollars and Sense in a practical manner enabling readers to absorb its content. A must read book for those that "watch" their local governments, school districts and elected officials. Written for fast reading,yet covers the subject matter extensively. If you want to be certain your local government is working at its fullest potential, Dollars & Sense can be a great help to you.