51st. Annual County Finance School

May 2-4, 2017 Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel Syracuse, New York 51st Annual County Finance School Sponsored by: New York State Association of Counties Office of the State Comptroller NYS County Treasurers and Finance Officers Association

51st County Finance School May 2-4, 2017 Syracuse, NY Sponsored by: New York State Association of Counties Office of the State Comptroller NYS County Treasurers and Finance Officers Association TUESDAY MAY 2 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Registration 9:30 AM -10:30 AM WORKSHOP Albany Update 10:30 AM -10:45 AM Break 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM Keynote The State of the Economy 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Luncheon 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS TRACK A/B 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Break (A) In Rem Foreclosures, Part 1 (B) Ethics for County Finance Officers 3:15 PM - 4:30 PM CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS TRACK A/B (A) In Rem Foreclosures, Part 2 (B) Accounting for Reserves 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Dinner Event Hon. Thomas DiNapoli NYS Comptroller WEDNESDAY MAY 3 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Registration 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM General Breakfast 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM NYS County Treasurers and Finance Officers Association Breakfast Meeting (members only)

9:15 AM - 10:30 AM Keynote Internet Sales Tax Overview and Impact 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Break 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS TRACK A/B (A) Property Tax Cap Analysis and Summary (B) Investment Program Development 12:15 PM - 1:45 PM Annual Awards Luncheon 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS TRACK A/B 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Break (A) Accounting Standards Update (B) Financing for Disaster Recovery Aid 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS TRACK A/B (A) Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) (B) Capital Planning 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM Reception & Dinner at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Transportation will be provided THURSDAY MAY 4 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Continental Breakfast 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM WORKSHOP New York State & Local Retirement Systems Update 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM WORKSHOP Real Property Tax Roundtable CPE Credits: If you are participating in CPE qualifying sessions for CPAs, you must sign attendance sheets at the workshops to receive CPE credits. In addition, CPE forms must be filled out and returned to the Office of the State Comptroller. All Finance School workshops are CPE eligible. County Government Institute Credits: Participants will earn 4 elective & 1 continuing education credit in the County Government Institute for full conference attendance.

FINANCE SCHOOL REGISTRATION FORM ONLINE REGISTRATION ONLY @ www.regonline.com/ cofinanceschool2017 51st County Finance School May 2-4, 2017, Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel, Syracuse NY REGISTRATION FEES (For County/State/Federal Officials Only-Private Sector Guests May Register Via Our Conference Exhibitor/Sponsorship Form): $160 Early Bird Conference Registration- Includes participation at all workshop sessions; Tuesday lunch, coffee break & dinner event; Wednesday breakfast, lunch, coffee break & reception and dinner; and Thursday continental breakfast. (Registration must be received by April 18th, 2017 to receive the Early Bird Rate) $185 Conference Registration - Includes participation at all workshop sessions; Tuesday lunch, coffee break & dinner event; Wednesday breakfast, lunch, coffee break & reception and dinner; and Thursday continental breakfast. (Applies to registration received after April 18th, 2017) Complimentary Registration for State & Federal Representatives (Elected and/or Staff) and Complimentary Spouse Registration All State & Federal Representative and Spouse attendees must email Juanita at jmunguia@nysac.org to register. Please go to https://www.regonline.com/cofinanceschool2017 to REGISTER ONLINE!!! You may register online with a purchase order, voucher, check, credit card or you may choose to be invoiced. Finance School Registration Policy Hotel Reservations must be made by calling the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel directly (see below) Even if you register with the hotel for a room, you must also register with NYSAC for the conference. Conference Registration Cancellation Policy: All conf. reg. cancellations will be charged a $25 processing fee and must be submitted via email to receive a refund. Registrations must be cancelled through NYSAC by 5pm, Friday, April 28th for a refund to be made. Please contact the hotel directly with hotel cancellations. Protected class or disabled attendees requiring special accommodations should notify NYSAC in advance. HOTEL RESERVATION POLICY Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center, 801 University Avenue, Syracuse, New York 13210 Reservations Telephone: 315-475-3000 or 800-395-2105 RESERVATION DEADLINE with the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel is APRIL 7th, 2017 or until room block sells out (which can be before the cut off date!) **RATE $129.00 Single or Double** Conference participants will need to call the above number to reserve accommodations DIRECTLY with the Sheraton. Rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Please refer to the New York State Association of Counties room block when registering. ONCE THE ROOM BLOCK HAS BEEN RELEASED OR SOLD OUT, RESERVATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED BY THE HOTEL AT THEIR DISCRETION AND SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND POSSIBLE INCREASE IN PRICING. **Please pay the hotel directly for your room by county check, county credit card, or county voucher. Please note that if you are using a county voucher, it must be provided at the time of check-in. You must bring a tax exempt form in order to receive tax exemption. If a tax -exempt form is not on file upon check-in, the voucher alone is not an acceptable form of tax exemption. PLEASE PROVIDE CREDIT CARD INFORMATION TO GUARANTEE YOUR ROOM. Complimentary parking is available for overnight guests. Please return any vouchers or purchase orders or payment to: 51st Annual County Finance School, NYSAC, 540 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY 12207 or fax 518.465.0506 Please contact Juanita Munguia with any questions or registration cancellations via email: jmunguia@nysac.org

Workshops Albany Update Representatives from NYSAC will provide an update of the State budget, legislative priorities and other issues and concerns impacting counties. (Tuesday, 5/2, 9:30am-10:30am) The State of the Economy Jobs, business growth, retail sales, interest rates, home values, and population trends are all key indicators of our economy. These indicators are also of critical concern to governments, which rely on income, sales, and property taxes to provide the programs and services that our residents need and expect. This keynote session will provide a broad overview of the conditions impacting our national, state and local economies. Presented by Capital Group American Funds. (Tuesday, 5/2, 10:45am- 12:00pm) In Rem Foreclosures, Part 1: A Detailed Look into the Article XI Process This session will provide an in-depth look at all aspects of the Article XI process from the first missed tax payment through the tax foreclosure. Hear from panelists on steps they take to help homeowners understand what is happening, ensure that the process meets all legal requirements and the county is protected during this process. (Tuesday, 5/2, 1:30pm-2:45pm) Ethics for County Finance Officers Local officials are held to a high standard of ethical conduct and need to avoid even appearances of impropriety. It is important that officials have an understanding of the laws governing this area. This session will provide an overview of Article 18 of the General Municipal Law, and the requirement for local codes of ethics. (Tuesday, 5/2, 1:30pm-2:45pm) In Rem Foreclosures, Part 2: What Happens After the County Takes Title Once the county has taken title, now what? This session will explore best practices and approaches used by counties to ensure a smooth transition to a new owner, including notifying property owners or tenants, preserving and securing the property, and preparing for and conducting the tax sale. (Tuesday, 5/2, 3:15pm-4:30pm) Establishing and Accounting for Reserves Properly established reserves can provide many benefits to municipalities. This session will assist local officials in understanding the purpose, benefits and proper use of reserves. We will discuss several commonly used reserves, the distinction between accounting and legal reserves, and the accounting treatment for reserves. (Tuesday, 5/2, 3:15pm-4:30pm) KEYNOTE SESSION Internet Sales Tax Overview and Impact According to the State Comptroller s Office, in the 3 rd quarter of 2014, e-commerce sales accounted for nearly 7% of total retail sales in the United States. Since 2014, the percentage of sales from e-commerce has risen steadily. This presentation will discuss the imposition and collection of sales tax on e-commerce transactions from a New York State and Federal perspective. (Wednesday, 5/3, 9:15am-10:30am) Property Tax Cap Analysis and Summary Counties have been operating under the State's property tax cap for six years, two of which included the Property Tax Freeze program. This session will present early results from data analysis submitted to OSC by counties as part of their annual tax cap filing. The focus will be on describing tax levy and tax limit trends, compliance rates, and override actions. As appropriate, any differences identified based on geographic location, size, and wealth will be highlighted as well. As part of the presentation, we will demonstrate upcoming improvements to our online form environment and discuss common reporting pitfalls. We will also provide an update on recent improvements that have been made in OSC's collection of real property tax data from counties for their component towns and cities. (Wednesday, 5/3,11:00am-12:15pm)

Workshops Investment Program Development Interest rates are finally rising! Now what? Are you leveraging your cash receipts in ways that could carefully maximize income and save taxpayer dollars all while aligning those assets to your expected disbursements? In this session, we will discuss the key components included in developing a prudent investment program. Further, we will discuss current investment opportunities, how to manage investment risks, and review current and expected market conditions. (Wednesday, 5/3, 11:00am-12:15pm) Accounting Standards Update This session will provide an overview of a number of recently issued GASB Statements (Statements 72 through 84), addressing topics such as tax abatement, fair value measurement and investment pools. There will also be a discussion on new GASB exposure drafts and upcoming GASB projects that may impact New York s counties. The session will conclude with an overview of recent OSC accounting bulletins. (Wednesday, 5/3, 1:45pm-3:00pm) Financing for Disaster Recovery Aid Knowing how to account your counties finances in the wake of a federal disaster designation is critical for qualifying for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding. Proper accounting makes a big difference in the effectiveness of a county s disaster recovery project. This session details how two counties worked with experienced consultants to leverage maximum reimbursement to reduce the recovery costs for local taxpayers. (Wednesday, 5/3, 1:45pm-3:00pm) Property Assessed Clean Energy and Foreclosed Properties Under NY s property assessed clean energy (PACE) statute, funding may be provided to an eligible property owner for energy efficient or renewable energy improvements. As security for repayment, a charge is to be placed on that property owner s property for the term of the repayment or until its prepayment. That charge acts like a special assessment. In the event of a foreclosure (by any lienholder), all liens are extinguished, such as a lien covering property tax payments. However, because the PACE charge is a special assessment, the outstanding balance of which is not secured by a lien, it remains with the property. What are the implications for local governments in In Rem Foreclosure? (Wednesday, 5/3, 3:30pm- 4:45pm) Capital Planning This session will instruct local government officials on how to develop a capital plan, including the process of identifying capital needs and establishing criteria to prioritize projects. Challenges to effective capital planning will be discussed, as well as the importance of encouraging public participation. The presentation will conclude with a brief tutorial of a capital planning template developed by the State Comptroller s Office. (Wednesday, 5/3, 3:30pm-4:45pm) New York State and Local Retirement Systems Update A representative from the State Comptroller's Office will provide an update on the New York State and Local Retirement System, including the Retirement Redesign Project. (Thursday, 5/4, 9:00am-10:00am) Real Property Tax Roundtable There are numerous bills pending in the State Legislature that could (and will) alter Real Property Tax Laws in New York. The latest updates on how this may impact county real property tax operations now and in the future will be discussed. (Thursday, 5/4, 10:15am-11:30am)