Author: Kenneth Hunter

Budget & Evaluation Manager, City of Rocky Mount, NC Member, Executive Committee, Association for Budgeting & Financial Management (ABFM) Secretary, North Carolina Local Government Budget Association (NCLGBA)

What do we really know?

When we try to convince, influence or encourage supervisors or the public to take one of our suggestions, it honestly does not matter what we say or present. The research, findings, conclusions and recommendations we place before them, along with the mountains of data and research within our own memory banks (ready for rapid delivery at the shortest moment of silence in a conversation) is meaningless when we are trying to actually make something happen.… Read More What do we really know?

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Digging Out

NOTE: The following represents the analysis-based opinion of the author and do not reflect those of his employer or any other affiliations. By Kenneth Hunter, Guest Blogger Four years ago last month, my wife and I relocated from Northern Virginia to Eastern North Carolina. As the helpers we hired to assist with unpacking started unloading… Read More Digging Out

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Meet Someone at a Conference? Don’t Forget to Followup!

By Kenneth Hunter, Guest Blogger The competitive world us professionals face, regardless of field, necessitates using every possible opportunity to improve our abilities, identify avenues for providing our services to broader audiences and (most importantly) building spheres of influence on a person-to-person basis. Conferences, workshops, classes and even chance encounters provide professional with ideals mediums… Read More Meet Someone at a Conference? Don’t Forget to Followup!

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2010 SECoPA Sets Impressive Course in Wilmington

By Kenneth Hunter, Guest Blogger The picturesque riverfront of Wilmington, North Carolina, was the scene for academic and practitioner discussion and collaboration during the 30th Southeastern Conference of Public Administration (SECoPA), held October 13th-16th. The conference, held at the Wilmington Hilton Riverside, was attended by 326 academics and practitioners, including 123 current students of public… Read More 2010 SECoPA Sets Impressive Course in Wilmington

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Honey! Did You pay the fire bill?

The greatest challenge we face, regardless the service, is when we are faced with actually telling someone “no” because they did not pay. In the case of the Cranick’s, City of South Fulton officials made a conscious decision not to offer a “last second” option in order to ensure that the potential for “free loading” service recipients was minimized. If the demand for services with these unincorporated areas is too great, and payment for services is not effectively enforced, South Fulton’s resources may be stretched too thin, negatively impacting its ability maintaining quality service for in-jurisdiction residents and businesses who provide most of their needed finances.… Read More Honey! Did You pay the fire bill?

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Bell Tolls for Effective Communication of Compensation

Government employee salary and benefit information is a matter of public record, and when requests are made, local jurisdictions have a moral and ethical obligation to provide honest information to inquiring citizens. As a means of maintaining public trusts by promoting institutional accountability, jurisdictions are and may continue to adopt new practices where employee salary information is made on websites and other sources.… Read More Bell Tolls for Effective Communication of Compensation

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Historic Perspective on the State of Today’s GDP

Annual examination of GDP serves the purpose of the media and politicians, and it provides little to no value for us concerned about low-term economic outlooks. For people involved in the endeavor of supervising responsible government through prudent, conservative budgeting and financial management, evaluating current activity in an historic context is a responsible means of predicting the range of possible scenarios we may encounter and must prepare for. This is especially true for local governments, who must balance budgets in real terms, uphold state regulatory requirements, and maintain trust and credibility with the citizens we serve daily and directly.… Read More Historic Perspective on the State of Today’s GDP

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