Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada (APTUSC) is the

professional society A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...

of active public treasurers of counties, provinces, cities, and special districts in the United States and Canada. It sets ethical standards for the treasury profession in state and

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

. The

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

of a public agency is elected by the voting public or are appointed staff. Public treasurers are primarily responsible for managing the revenue and cash flow of the agency. This officer is also responsible for banking, collections of user fees such as utility usage and business licenses, and communicating financial performance and forecasts to the community.

Membership role

Members are treasurers of municipalities and other local government agencies, whether elected or appointed, having responsibility for collection, receipt, reporting, custody, investment or disbursement of municipal funds. Municipal funding sources are commonly

property tax A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...

income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...

, utility users tax (UUT), transient occupancy tax (hotel occupancy), and user fees such as licensing and permit fees. Many Treasurers are elected, and are therefore directly accountable to their constituents; the remainder are appointed either by City Council or City Manager.

Professional standards setting

APTUSC offers a Certified Public Finance Administrator (CPFA) certification program. CPFA is a professional post-nominal awarded to a public treasurer who meets standards of education, experience and a stated commitment to a code of ethics. CPFA candidates must meet or exceed requirements in two areas; 50% educational standards and 50% experience and training requirements. Certification is also designed as a guide for municipal treasurers to become valued administrators in local government.

Training and education in municipal treasury

APTUSC has technical and professional committees that deal with issues facing treasurers, their agencies and the public. APTUSC also provides web-based technical support resources, educational material, conferences and technical publications for its members. APTUSC's annual conferences provide an array of education across many topics and are held annually between various locations. The association conducts workshops to provide training and education on investments, cash management, bond sales,

management skills Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

, and

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolled bill, enrolling, enactment of a bill, enacting, or promulgation, promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous Government, governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law i ...

Code of Ethics

The following Code of Ethics, governing the professional conduct of active members of the California Municipal Treasurers Association, Retrieved 2009-06-10 sets a standard of conduct in government finance: # Purpose - This

Code In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...

of Professional Ethics ensures a uniform adherence to the Association's longstanding policies related to legal, moral and professional standards of conduct. This code also informs the public at large as to how the Association approaches matters involving ethics. The principles set forth in this code shall govern the conduct of all members of APTUSC. # Fiduciary Responsibility - A member shall exercise prudence and integrity in the management of funds in their custody and in all financial transactions for which they are responsible. # Responsibility as Public Officials - A member shall adhere to concepts of effective and efficient local government service being provided by elected and appointed Public Treasurers. A member shall conduct himself or herself at all times in a manner which serves the

public interest The public interest is "the welfare or well-being of the general public" and society. Overview Economist Lok Sang Ho in his ''Public Policy and the Public Interest'' argues that the public interest must be assessed impartially and, therefore ...

and maintains the good reputation of the profession. A member shall uphold the letter and spirit of the law and report violations of the law to the appropriate authorities. # Professional Development - A member shall observe professional technical standards and continually strive to acquire knowledge and improve levels of competence in Treasury management. A member shall strive to enhance the competence of colleagues and encourage those seeking to enter the field of Public Treasury. # Professional Integrity – Information - A member shall respect and protect privileged information. A member shall conduct

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

openly so the public may make informed judgments and hold public officials accountable. A member shall be sensitive and responsive to inquiries from the public and the media. # Professional Relationships - A member shall maintain the highest ideals of honor, integrity, and objectivity in all professional relationships. # Conflict of Interest - A member shall not seek any favor or accept any personal gain which would influence, or appear to influence, objectivity or conduct of official duties. # Member Misconduct - The Association shall not accept or condone unethical conduct under any circumstances. A member found by the Board of Directors to be in violation of any provision of this Code of Ethics shall be expelled from membership for a length of time to be determined by the Board and, if the member holds the designation of CPFA, such designation shall be revoked.

References

External links