The budgeting class begins with a discussion of the budgetary environment in municipal government.  Although most of the constraints on budgeting come from the political environment in which it takes place, quite a few state laws and regulations exist that affect the budget process.  Because every municipal budget must comply with these laws and regulations, it is necessary to review them in detail.  Revenue and expenditure forecasting will be discussed; they are very important to making the enacted budget as accurate as possible.  The class concludes with some best practices in budgeting that may be helpful to the finance officers as they work toward a better budget document.

The budgeting class begins with a discussion of the budgetary environment in municipal government.  Although most of the constraints on budgeting come from the political environment in which it takes place, quite a few state laws and regulations exist that affect the budget process.  Because every municipal budget must comply with these laws and regulations, it is necessary to review them in detail.  Revenue and expenditure forecasting will be discussed; they are very important to making the enacted budget as accurate as possible.  The class concludes with some best practices in budgeting that may be helpful to the finance officers as they work toward a better budget document.

Understanding grant requirements and writing a grant can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. This session teaches the basics of how grants work and what funders look for. You’ll learn how to put together a clear, strong proposal that matches what the funder cares about, and how to find grants from federal, state, and foundation sources. Key Highlights:Understand the simple building blocks of a strong grant proposal.Learn how to match your project to what funders want to support.Discover where to find available grants and how to choose the right ones. * This training content may fall into qualified CMFO CPE categories. Participants seeking CMFO CPE are solely responsible for reviewing the Comptroller’s CPE Requirements Guidelines and determining whether this training meets their requirements.

The budgeting class begins with a discussion of the budgetary environment in municipal government.  Although most of the constraints on budgeting come from the political environment in which it takes place, quite a few state laws and regulations exist that affect the budget process.  Because every municipal budget must comply with these laws and regulations, it is necessary to review them in detail.  Revenue and expenditure forecasting will be discussed; they are very important to making the enacted budget as accurate as possible.  The class concludes with some best practices in budgeting that may be helpful to the finance officers as they work toward a better budget document.

The Elected Officials Special Topics Series is offered especially for municipal elected officials. These free, virtual sessions will highlight relevant topics to support elected officials in their leadership of Tennessee municipalities. Each session will be delivered on Zoom in the evening and run 90 minutes. Although this series is designed with elected officials in mind, city staff are welcome to register if seats are available.New sessions are added as they are confirmed.

MTAS introduced the IMPACT Series in 2022. Presented quarterly, the IMPACT Series draws from Stephen Covey’s time management principle of prioritizing activities that are “important but not urgent” to produce long-term impact. Over the last three years, we have featured a variety of topics and speakers. 2026 MTAS IMPACT Series Municipal Moneyball: Finding Hidden Savings in City Operations Turn overlooked inefficiencies into measurable savings—one process at a time. Municipal budgets are tight, and inefficiencies cost real money.  Imagine freeing up funds for your top priorities without raising taxes, cutting services or staff. Join our 2026 IMPACT Series, inspired by a city leader who cut waste by more than 25% of the city’s entire operating budget, with zero impact to any city services.  Over four, one-hour sessions, you will learn the exact approach he used to uncover hidden savings and apply it to your own organization. What you will gain: ·       Practical tools to audit internal processes, identify waste, and calculate real savings—without compromising service quality or compliance. ·       A roadmap to identify quick wins and long-term savings ·       How to get buy-in and sustain improvements ·       A plan to reinvest savings into your organization’s key priorities Presenter:    CAPT Doug Kibbey, US Navy (ret) Doug received a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned from the United States Naval Academy in 1986.  He earned his wings in 1988, spent 34 years in the Navy (including three tours at the Pentagon), received his Master of Science degree in Lean Six Sigma from Loyola University New Orleans in 2001, and retired to Bath Springs, TN in 2016.  He was hired as the City Manager for Clifton, TN in Sept of 2016 and served in that capacity through the end of May of 2025. Session Dates & Topics ·       March 5 | Buy-in or Bust: Winning Support for Change ·       June 4 | Quick Wins: Where to Find Hidden Savings First ·       September 24 | Big Wins: Tackling High-Dollar Inefficiencies ·       December 3 | Reinvesting Savings: Turning Efficiency into Impact Register for all sessions – even if you can’t attend live. Only registered participants receive recordings and resources. All sessions are from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. ET via Zoom.* This training covers content that may fall into qualified CMFO CPE categories. Participants seeking CMFO CPE are solely responsible for reviewing the?Comptroller’s CPE Requirements Guidelines?and determining whether this training aligns with the acceptable course topics. 

Fee: $385 (city will be invoiced after orientation)**NOTE: This program includes a one-hour virtual orientation and three, in-person classroom days. You may only see the classroom dates in K@TE. ** Imagine being able to communicate effectively, confidently influence people and drive performance within your team. The MTAS Municipal Leadership Program is designed to equip leaders at all levels with knowledge, tools and strategies to excel in their roles. Topics include Communicating for Results, Managing Performance and Influencing People. This 14-hour program features:A work styles assessment with personalized management insights;Thought-provoking preparatory information;Virtual and classroom instruction;Engaging class activities and group discussion;Optional self-directed professional development opportunities.Program Format:Virtual orientation (1 hour)Three, in-person classroom days (12 hours, 4 hours/day)Prework (1 hour) For specific cohort dates and other information visit the website: https://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/municipal-leadership-training

Fee: $385 (city will be invoiced after orientation)**NOTE: This program includes a one-hour virtual orientation and three, in-person classroom days. You may only see the classroom dates in K@TE. ** Imagine being able to communicate effectively, confidently influence people and drive performance within your team. The MTAS Municipal Leadership Program is designed to equip leaders at all levels with knowledge, tools and strategies to excel in their roles. Topics include Communicating for Results, Managing Performance and Influencing People. This 14-hour program features:A work styles assessment with personalized management insights;Thought-provoking preparatory information;Virtual and classroom instruction;Engaging class activities and group discussion;Optional self-directed professional development opportunities.Program Format:Virtual orientation (1 hour)Three, in-person classroom days (12 hours, 4 hours/day)Prework (1 hour) For specific cohort dates and other information visit the website: https://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/municipal-leadership-training

Cost: $185 (will be invoiced to the city) Register to attend Elected Officials Academy: Municipal Foundations. This program may be delivered virtually or in-person. This program familiarizes municipal elected officials with foundational aspects of municipal governance. Topics cover foundations and structure of municipal government, charters and codes, ethics, open meetings, public records, effective meetings, and municipal finance. Virtual program: The virtual program is divided into three sessions. Completion of all three sessions is required to receive a certificate of completion. Registration in this event automatically registers users into all three sessions. This event is delivered virtually on Zoom. The virtual program is offered annually each winter.  In-person program: The in-person program may be offered in one day and provides 7.5 training hours. Participants must attend the entirety of the program to receive a certificate of completion. The in-person program is offered annually in participation with the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) Annual Conference as a pre-conference session.   For dates and other information visit the website:  https://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/elected-officials-academy