BERLIN – Berlin’s town administrator is representing the municipality at a financial sustainability conference in South Carolina.
At the invitation of the Government Finance Officers Association, Town Administrator Laura Allen is taking part in a conference at the Riley Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston this week.
“It’s a collection of elected officials and staff in the southern part of the region,” Allen told the Berlin Town Council Monday. “Because we are participating in the Government Finance Officers Association’s financial sustainability pilot, I was selected to represent the town as another community in this presentation.”
Allen said the town’s financial sustainability team — which in addition to her includes Economic Development Director Ivy Wells, Finance Director Natalie Saleh, Electric Utility Director Tim Lawrence and Administrative Services Director Mary Bohlen — had met twice so far. She said she’d be talking about their plans and efforts at the conference.
“The presentation is really going to be about why the town was interested in participating in the pilot, what we’ve done so far and then suggestions for other communities in terms of ways they can approach the same kind of work,” Allen said.
Mayor Gee Williams praised Allen’s involvement in the program, as financial sustainability was critical for government entities.
“Realistically you’d have to almost be from another universe to not notice there are so many different elements converging together at all levels of government,” he said. “There’s a need and then there’s a desire for more services.”
He said the challenge of providing the necessary services was something all municipalities faced.
“A financial sustainability initiative is something that begins to address this,” Williams said. “We’re not alone. Municipalities and counties all over the country are trying to figure out how do we keep going and how do we go further.”
He said conferences like the one Allen was attending would give jurisdictions the chance to share ideas.
“This is a sincere and a real effort to share information and not only what works but what doesn’t work,” he said. “I just think this is one of the areas that for the next several years is going to become a very high priority for our community because we’re changing, we’re evolving, and that brings not only the responsibilities we’ve always had but new challenges.”
