Every day, local government finance professionals work at the political-administrative interface. You balance competing priorities, public expectations and legislative responsibilities while exercising sound judgment, financial stewardship and objective decision-making. The hardest calls are rarely the ones where the rules are clear.
Ethics in Local Government Finance is a two-part webinar series built to help you navigate those calls with confidence. Through practical discussion and real-world case studies, you will explore how ethical principles apply to the decisions that actually land on a finance professional's desk.
At a Glance
| Format |
Virtual webinar |
| Sessions |
Two 90-minute sessions |
| Dates |
September 10 and October 14, 2026 |
| Time |
9:30 to 11:00 AM Pacific Time |
| Professional development |
3 hours of verifiable professional ethics CPD across the series |
| Registration |
$287.50 members / $487.50 non-members |
| Cancellation deadline |
August 17, 2026 |
What You Will Explore
- Balancing competing organizational priorities
- Maintaining objectivity while working with the CAO and elected officials
- Managing ethical risk in corporate credit cards and financial controls
- Allocating limited financial resources against competing expectations
- Responding to emerging ethical challenges in local government finance
The Sessions
Session One: Principles and Decision-Making
September 10, 2026 | 9:30 to 11:00 AM Pacific Time
Establishes the ethical frameworks that underpin sound financial decision-making and how those frameworks hold up against the pressures of the political-administrative interface.
Session Two: Ethics in Practice
October 14, 2026 | 9:30 to 11:00 AM Pacific Time
Applies those frameworks to practical scenarios drawn from local government finance, working through the grey areas where the defensible answer is not the obvious one.
How the Sessions Work
This is an interactive learning experience, not a lecture. Each session features practical case studies, participant polling, facilitated breakout discussion and live question-and-answer time. You will work through real scenarios alongside peers facing the same pressures in their own organizations.
Who Will Benefit
- Chief financial officers, directors of finance and treasurers
- Finance managers and supervisors who advise a council or board
- Accountants, analysts and finance staff working toward a leadership role
- Anyone in local government finance who holds spending authority, signing authority or oversight of financial controls
Professional development credit: Each session provides 1.5 hours of verifiable professional ethics CPD, for 3 hours across the series. This series provides 3 of the 4 professional ethics hours required by CPABC during each rolling three-calendar-year period. Eligible members are subject to CPABC's exemption rules.
Registration Details
- Registration covers both sessions. Sessions are not sold individually.
- Your Zoom registration link is included on your invoice.
- Credit cards for registrations received by August 10 will be processed on August 10. Registrations received after August 10 will be processed upon receipt.
- Refund and cancellation requests will be accepted until August 17, 2026.
- Registration is transferable to another participant.
- Registration fees are eligible for transfer to another GFOABC event within the same calendar year, subject to availability and any price difference.
- For organizational rates for more than three attendees, contact the GFOABC office.
Questions about this series or organizational rates? Contact us.