Fiscal indicator reports and ratio analysis: benchmarking Ohio municipalities and school districts.

Summary

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The Government Finance Officers Assn has bestowed upon Ohio's Office of the Auditor the Award for Excellence for its outstanding contribution in the field of Communications and Reporting. The office developed the use of ratio indicators in 1997 to benchmark performance, determine government practices and identify potential problems. Using the ratio reports allowed the state to thoroughly explore its economic vitality, financial independence, deferred costs and shrinking reserves.

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Fiscal indicator reports and ratio analysis: benchmarking Ohio municipalities and school districts.

The State Auditor's Office provides local governments with ratio indicators to benchmark financial performance and identify fiscal distress.

Editor's note: Each year the Government Finance Officers Association bestows its prestigious Award for Excellence to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of government finance. The awards stress practical, documented work that offers leadership to the profession and promotes improved public finance. This article describes the 1998 winning entry in the Communications and Reporting subcategory of the Budgeting and Financial Planning category.

Predicting when financial calamity may strike is very difficult for local governments. In the wake of recent fiscal crises, many officials are asking themselves how to assess and measure financial distress. What indicators should be analyzed to get a complete and accurate picture of their fiscal situation?

The State of Ohio Office of the Auditor has taken a unique approa...

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