Financial Management in Local Government

Originally published in 1974, this book shows how the financial thread is established and preserved. The author shows finance playing its part in providing better information for both decision making and control. He shows how the skills of accountants, economists, statisticians and others are harnessed to this end and explains how specialists and non-specialists participate. The book contains chapters on financial processes such as planning and budgeting, and on the disciplines involved – accounting, auditing, measurement techniques and IT. It deals with the responsibilities to financial management of both elected members and officers, showing how they work together formally in council and committee, and informally in groups and consultations. Specific chapters are devoted to the chief financial officer and their department but throughout the emphasis is on finance as everybody’s business and there is therefore much in the book about the obligations to finance of those who are not financial specialists.