Sunday, November 4, 2007

GFOA's financial indicators database

GFOA’s database: An Introduction

I didn’t know about this database until days ago when Professor John Bartle mentioned about it in the ABFM Census data roundtable. The database collects each year from approximately 1,500 Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports/Component Units Financial Reports (CAFRs/CUFRs) submitted to the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement Program. The variables include operating results, fund balance, revenues, expenditures, debt position, and cash and investments. Separate database has been developed for three types of jurisdictions--municipalities, counties and school districts.

Although jurisdictions included in each database do not constitute a random sample of governments, the database information can help governments compare their financial performance with that of similarly sized jurisdictions.

The database can be purchase through this link, but it seems a bit expensive. I will check with the UMN library to see whether it is available in-house or through inter-library loans.

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