Required Courses
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Building Consensus in a Political Environment
The public is becoming more and more frustrated with government’s inability to assist in finding solutions to the significant problems we face because of partisan political infighting and the prolonged impasses that often result. County leaders constantly face the dilemma of trying to find ways to settle political differences so that the greater interests of the public can be served.
During this training session county leaders will learn new skills and techniques to assist them in managing and resolving political conflicts. Through this session, county leaders will receive new insights on ways to develop collaborative efforts and achieve consensus on the critical issues facing local government and the citizens they serve. (4 Credits)
Principles of County Budget and Financial Management
During this 3 hour training session, participants will learn the basic concepts of county budget and finance. Experts in the field will provide information on county revenues, describe how fiscal trends and revenue forecasts are developed, provide insights on how spending levels are projected and detail how budget documents are prepared and presented. Participants will be provided with useful tools to assist them in examining and fully understanding the impacts of a comprehensive county budget. (4 Credits)
Foundations of County Government
This session will detail the historical and legal foundations of county governments in New York State. During this session, Institute participants will learn about the forms and structures of county governments in New York State, their authority, duties and responsibilities under state law, and the relationships between counties and other units of state and local government. (4 Credits)
Public Sector Labor / Management Relationships
During this session, participants will learn about the unique labor/management relationships existing in county government as established under New York State law. Seminar participants will learn about the requirements of New York State's Taylor Law, the operations and responsibilities of the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB), and requirements under Civil Service Law and other relevant state statutes. (4 Credits)
Ethics in Government
This session will provide an overview of the codes of conduct and other related legal requirements of county elected and appointed officials under state and local ethics laws, policies and procedures. The session will describe state and local laws governing, gifts and inducements, conflicts of interest, financial disclosure requirements, operations of county ethics boards and other areas relating to integrity in government. (4 Credits)