THE ILLINOIS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CONSORTIUM

Relationships between different levels of government can be beneficial in achieving accountability and providing efficiency in the cost and delivery of services. Given the budget pressures facing state and local governments enhanced cooperation becomes even more important.

For these reasons, the Illinois Financial Management Consortium has been created to help ensure coordination among state and local training efforts. Participants include the Illinois Municipal League, Township Officials of Illinois, Office of the State Comptroller, the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University.

The consortium represents an attempt to formalize communications and cooperation, using existing resources in a way that will improve the ability of local governments to manage their financial affairs responsibly and efficiently.

This assistance is especially important to Illinois' smaller municipalities that are at a disadvantage in the area of financial management due to:

— few, if any professional staff;
— lack of formal financial management expertise;
— limited financial resources to hire the professional staff needed, and
— continuous employee turnover.

These disadvantages can often lead to costly inefficiencies.

Participants in the consortium will address these issues as well as:

— integrating research into the delivery of services;
— training on basic budgeting principles;
— increasing computer usage for accounting and budgeting; and
— developing new training materials.

The Illinois Financial Management Consortium will meet on a periodic basis to try to find solutions to these issues as well as determining how consortium members can best work together and share resources.

Page 30 / Illinois Municipal Review / November 1995