Working With Local Governments: How To Be Successful In Generating Local Financial Support District financial

Get To Know Your Local Officials Schedule short, well-planned face-to-face meetings with Board of Supervisor members throughout the year. DON’T JUST SHOW UP AT BUDGET TIME! Get to know the county administration including the County Administrators, Department Directors and School Board Administration. THEY ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS! Invite local officials to meetings, banquets, tours, farmer programs, etc. Give them a role in the meetings. Share newsletters, success stories, positive letters from clientele in support of District program efforts. District dam owners should invite local officials to annual dam inspections. Reviewing your Emergency Action Plan yearly with local Emergency Services officials will help to develop a rapport with local officials. Show your interest in local issues by attending Board of Supervisor meetings, Planning Commission Meetings, etc.

Budgeting ALWAYS REQUEST ADDITIONAL FUNDS! Localities expect a certain percentage increase from each department annually. If you are unsure of county departmental increases, contact the finance department before developing your District budget. Don’t hesitate to ask for larger amounts of funding if you need it. Facts, figures, balance sheets and other evidence can be convincing. Request face-to-face meetings with budget officers prior to budget hearings to work out details of your budget request. This ensures your budget hearing will run smoother. If your locality does not hold budget hearings, request an informal meeting with the finance director or budget officer to review District financial needs and programs. Link your annual cost-share investments to your budget request Request in-kind services where funding is not available including print services, benefits packages, payroll services, IT support, etc.

Contracts Contracts and Scope of Services Agreements are an effective way of securing funding. Contracts ensure that a locality knows exactly what they are getting for their annual funding allocations. BE SPECIFIC TO EACH LOCALITY! An annual plan of work, while important for District operations, is not specific to the locality. Offer services that will help localities to meet their local comp plan goals or ordinance requirements. Specific offerings might include educational outreach that a locality can count towards their MS-4 Storm water Permit or outreach assistance for the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act planning requirements. MOST IMPORTANTLY, DELIVER EXACTLY WHAT YOU PROMISE ON TIME AND IN A VISIBLE FASHION.

Reporting If you are unable to visit your local officials on a regular basis, reports can be important. Quarterly Reports detailing District accomplishments are effective. Provide detailed annual reports with lots of eye-catching color photos. Hand out annual reports at budget hearings and highlight accomplishments before asking for additional funding.

Staff Involvement In Locality Programs Don’t underestimate the importance of District staff rapport with their local counterparts. Encourage District staff to serve on appropriate committees that match staff responsibilities. This makes communication two-way, rather than always informing elected officials about needs and programs. Encourage District staff participation in county training programs and departmental meetings to cultivate a closer working relationship. The closer the working relationship between county departments and the District, the more value elected officials will place on District services.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get what you want. Just try harder the next time! Park Dodd, Director Hanover-Caroline SWCD (804) Persistence Pays!