the municipal secretary desktop reference manual - Southwestern ...

INTRODUCTION
THE MUNICIPAL SECRETARY’S DESKTOP REFERENCE MANUAL is a product of the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, whose Local Government Projects Committee developed this
handbook to provide assistance to municipal secretaries. The primary focus of the project was to create
a desktop reference book, addressing many of the primary functions and activities encountered by
municipal secretaries in the annual work cycle.
The manual is designed to assist the local government secretary in the performance of everyday
as well as periodic duties. Municipal secretaries, with varied levels of experience, suggested that this
tool would be a great asset to novice secretaries, as they “find their way,” as well as to the veteran who
continually improves her/his proficiency. Studying and adopting the various techniques, forms and
other information presented in this manual which address the responsibilities of the position will help
supplement and reinforce the skills and capabilities of the municipal administrator who will become a
more valuable asset to the governing body she/he serves.
In recognition of the importance of securing the governing body’s agreement to adopt new
policies or implement policy changes, a series of policy discussion papers are included in Section I
which should be copied, distributed to the governing body and acted upon prior to changing day-to-day
operations. Each includes the advantages of adopting and implementing a policy, how the new policy
will affect government operations, and assign responsibility for policy implementation. Entitled
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GOVERNING BODY, Section I can provide the support needed to
formalize or standardize municipal operations.
This reference manual puts practical information at the fingertips of the user, eliminating the
need to search through the municipality’s library of handbooks, if one exists, for informational needs. A
section on NETWORKING, for example, highlights the various professional affiliations that are
available to municipal secretaries. It also provides a comprehensive listing of state and county agencies
that can be called upon for assistance. The TRAINING section details the different programs that are
available to obtain in-depth local government training, and the certifications that can be achieved
through training programs.
One of the major objectives of this work was to assemble the most commonly required forms,
and provide a “tip sheet” for the completion or use of each. These can be found in the FILING
REQUIREMENTS section. Helpful information on various aspects of FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT,
THE BUDGET, ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS, ENTITLEMENT GRANTS, RISK
MANAGEMENT, PURCHASING, MEETINGS, PERSONNEL and RECORDS MANAGEMENT are
included in the section\s bearing those respective titles. Several sections include timesaving checklists
for cumbersome tasks such as budget preparation, contract purchasing and preparing advertisements.
The MUNICIPAL REFERENCE LIBRARY section includes a compilation of useful materials on
various subjects that can enhance a local government’s collection of publications.
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